Sign up for the battlefordsNOW newsletter

People react to new North Battleford transit proposal

Feb 5, 2016 | 4:41 PM

The current transit system is good but it could be better as frequent rider Linda Markovich explained.

“I love our existing transit system, the drivers are nice and polite but there are a couple of draw back to the current transit system. My trip today took 13 minutes and my trip home will take 37 minutes,” Markovich said.

The current system is one bus which loops in one direction around town. This means that if it takes you 10 minutes to get from point A to point B it will take you 50 minutes from point B back to point A. Adding another bus in the opposite direction would save Markovich a lot of time.

“If it takes 13 minute to get here and 13 to get back I’ll have a lot more time for snacks and fun,” she said.

Transit manager Al Love is pushing this proposal because Markovich isn’t the only rider who thinks the system could be better.

“Last year we had over 21 thousand rides, which tells me people are using the bus but the feedback we get from those people are that the rides are too long,” he said.

If the proposal goes through, it is likely to cost more.

“Obviously by doubling the amount of people on the road and the amount of equipment the costs aren’t going to double but it will be a substantial increase to the budget,” Love said.

The transit system is funded entirely by the City of North Battleford.

 

@realggreghiggins