Stacey Petreman, the owner of Prince Albert Northern Bus Lines, previously told paNOW that Richard Potratz was fired soon after the incident in March. (Prince Albert Northern Bus Lines/Facebook)

By Mia Holowaychuk, CKOM News Staff

sentencing

P.A. man jailed for driving charter bus carrying 52 kids while impaired

Jan 14, 2026 | 2:04 PM

A 71-year-old bus driver from Prince Albert will spend six months in jail for driving a charter bus with 52 children on board while he was over the legal limit for alcohol.

Richard Arthur Potratz received his sentence, which includes a year of probation and a two-year driving prohibition, at Saskatoon Provincial Court on Monday.

On March 14, 2025, Saskatoon police received a report of an impaired driver who was operating a charter bus with minors on board near Highway 16 and 71st Street West in Saskatoon.

Officers found the bus stopped on the roadside and located the driver, who was believed to be impaired, sitting in the backseat of a personal vehicle that was travelling behind the bus.

A replacement driver took the passengers back to Saskatoon in the charter bus, while Potratz was arrested.

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Stacey Petreman, the owner of Prince Albert Northern Bus Lines, previously told paNOW that Potratz was fired soon after the incident.

“There was an incident and it was dealt with accordingly. It’s unfortunate, but it happened and it’s all been dealt with,” he said.

Potratz had around 10 years of experience with the company and, according to Petreman, showed no signs of issues related to alcohol prior to his arrest.

–with files from paNOW’s Nigel Maxwell