The official opposition is questioning a bus service for workers travelling to the Global Transportation Hub, as over the last four years, the province has subsidized $500,000 dollars of the total cost of the bus service.
The province has a five-year contract with First Canada for transit service paid for on a usage basis expiring May 4, 2019. Currently, the GTH pays about $7 per ride. The province has not asked users to fully pay for the bus service, leaving taxpayers to pick up the leftover.
NDP MLA Cathy Sproule recently pointed out how much the province is spending on the service, while not being able to keep STC running.
"So it's OK for Loblaws to have people get a bus ride. But it's not ok for a senior who needs to make a trip to the city for healthcare,” NDP MLA Cathy Sproule said,
Sproule claims taxpayers are spending $90,000 dollars a year to help subsidize the buses for GTH employees.
"This government is simply not coming forward with the information for the taxpayers. There’s millions and millions of dollars in debt and it continues to get higher,” Sproule said.
At a meeting of the standing committee on the economy, Minister responsible for the Global Transportation Hub Authority Don Morgan said more workers are expected to come to Regina and use the service, meaning more chances for cost recovery.
"Maintaining those jobs, those individuals there, it's good value when you realize the amount of money we recover from those individuals in property tax,” Morgan said.
In a statement Morgan adds they will be "reviewing this bus shuttle service to determine whether it can continue without the minimal subsidy provided by government."
Morgan says the GTH has had meetings with Loblaw and Emterra, whose employees regularly use the bus service, to explore more efficient ways to run the transit program. Adding both companies understand the need to phase out the subsidy and move towards a full cost-recovery model.
