Melville man hopes SGI rebate can reignite Sask. bus service

One man wants to revive the STC with rebates WATCH: A Melville man wants SGI rebates to go towards reviving a now defunct transportation service. Hafsa Arif explains why.

YORKTON — A man in Melville said he is prepared to donate his SGI rebate to a new Saskatchewan bus service.

When the Saskatchewan Transportation Company (STC) was running on provincial highways, Eric Sagan was a frequent passenger. Ever sense the service was cut, Sagan said it has been tough, especially for the elderly within the community.

“It’s a hardship for the seniors in this town and for the whole of Saskatchewan,” said Sagan. Adding that he is no longer the young man that he once was.

He said that driving long distance is difficult and making trips, including necessary trips to the city for medical reasons.

“It’s harder to drive long distance to medical. Whether it’s Saskatoon or Regina. We are living in a society that needs services basically everyday,” said Sagan.

Sagan said that the loss of STC has impacted his auto repair business, as well. When the STC was running, Sagan would be able to receive parts for his business within a day, but now it takes a day drive back to work with the parts.

“I have to travel with my own vehicle and spend the whole day in Princeville or North Country,” said Sagan.

The STC began operating in 1946 to 2017, when the government announced its plan to shut it down.

Despite there being shuttle buses that take community members to the city, Sagain said it does not run enough throughout the week.

With SGI offering customer rebates, Sagan said he wants his to go into a new bus service to start up the STC system again.

In a statement, the Ministry of Transportation said the STC cost millions in its final years of operation.

“In the last years of the company’s operations, an annual subsidy of $17 million was required to keep the fleet running. STC would have required about $85 in funding over the coming five years just to continue operations,” read the statement.