Fuming about fuel prices? City transit may be a solution

Borina is just one Hatter that relies on transit nearly every day to get around.

“My son has school in Crescent Heights and sometimes I have appointments and my bank is downtown so I can get downtown in 10 minutes from Crescent Heights,” she said.

Another person not feeling the impact of high fuel prices is Terri Macrae. She doesn’t own a car so she also takes transit

“I like that it is accessible and that you can get around and it is much cheaper, but it can have its complications too time-wise and if you need to get somewhere faster,” she said.

To address some of those complications, Macrae uses her E-scooter. At a whopping 25 cents a charge, she said her E-scooter goes everywhere with her, including on the bus.

“I can pretty much go anywhere in the Hat with this thing” she said.

“It was just a smart choice for me,” she added.

Transit Manager Gordon Dykstra said that while taking the bus may seem intimidating at first, it does come with a lot of benefits.

“Transit is far cheaper than using a vehicle. I mean when you add insurance, and gasoline and maintenance you can buy a bus pass for just over $70.00 and you can ride for a month, and that is a significant savings from even just half a tank of gas at the current prices so you can save a lot of money by switching to transit,” he said.

Since the price of gas has risen, ridership has also slightly increased and the city expects more to be taking the bus once the weather gets warmer.

Transit operates in 30 minute loops and bus stops are located throughout.

“We cover all the quadrants of the city. Northeast , northwest, central, the hill even out to the airport. Southridge, Ross Glen, and the college and all of the buses in the north and central areas meet downtown at the terminal at quarter two and quarter after the hour, and the two buses in the south meet at Medicine Hat Mall on the hour and the half hour,” Dykstra explained.

On weekday evenings between 6:45 p.m. and 10:45 p.m. Transit on Demand kicks in for riders in the North and Central zones. Launched in 2020, it is also available on Sundays from 8:15 a.m. to 7:15 p.m.

“You download an app on your smartphone and during the hours of service you book a bus and tell us when you want to arrive or be picked up, or as soon as possible, and the app will tell you which stop to walk to and when it will be there,” Dykstra said

If taking the bus still makes you apprehensive, city transit said they are here to help. Information on routes, schedules and fares are on the city’s website. Staff are also available by phone to help get you on your way.

” We are very happy to take a phone call and we will guide you through whatever you need to use our system effectively,” Dykstra said.

by Tiffany Goodwein

Fuming about fuel prices? City transit may be a solution

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