Saskatoon City Council aims to improve safety through new transit bylaw

Saskatoon City Council passed a new transit bylaw on Wednesday, aiming to improve safety for both bus riders and staff.

Under the new bylaw, fare payment will be mandatory for those boarding the bus, and failing to produce a valid ticket or fare is considered an offence.

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The bylaw, which comes into force on Sept. 1, also establishes clear rules for transit users, including wearing footwear, behaving in an orderly and respectful manner and prohibiting sleeping on buses or in bus shelters.

Under a new amendment to the bylaw, which follows a report approved by the city’s transportation committee on June 9, animals will only be permitted on transit buses if they are in a kennel, with the exception of service animals.

Bylaw officers can also deny boarding to anyone who is engaging in “unacceptable behaviour,” and ban offenders on either a short- or long-term basis. Offenders may also face fines of up to $50.

Community advocate Melissa Naytowhow spoke at city hall on Wednesday, asking council to vote against the new bylaw.

“Safety is important, but safety and compassion are not opposing goals,” she said.

Naytowhow said she believes the new bylaw creates additional barriers for those experiencing homelessness or poverty.

“For someone living paycheck to paycheck, a $50 fine can represent groceries, medication or part of this month’s rent,” she said.

“Policies should recognize that mistakes, technical issues with digital tickets or momentary lapses should not create financial hardships that make it even more difficult for people to remain stable.”

City solicitor Cindy Yelland said handing out tickets is not going to be the first action taken under the new rules.

“The bylaw is to set what we expect for behaviors on Saskatoon Transit,” she said. “It will be used by our community support workers, the Saskatoon police and the supervisors at Saskatoon Transit to ensure that transit remains safe for all users.”

Yelland said if a bus rider exhibits “bad behaviour,” they may be asked to leave the bus, and only under extreme circumstances will an individual be banned from using transit.

Robert Clipperton, a member of the group Bus Riders of Saskatoon, also spoke at city hall.

“There are too many people who don’t feel that it is safe to ride on the bus in Saskatoon,” he said.

“Although we feel that these fears are often exaggerated, we also feel that the situation needs to be dealt with.”

Clipperton questioned Section 10 of the proposed bylaw, which would have required children under six to be supervised by someone at least 16 years of age while riding the bus.

“Parents are in the best position to determine how much and what sort of supervision a child needs on a city bus, not Saskatoon Transit,” he said.

“What we don’t need either is a law that won’t be enforced, especially when aimed at children.”

City council ultimately removed that section of the bylaw before it was approved, although four council members voted against the amendment.