By paNOW

‘I strongly encourage people to look for alternatives:’ Sask. MLAs on hitchhiking

Jul 21, 2017 | 1:00 PM

It’s been six weeks since the shuttering of the Saskatchewan Transportation Company (STC) and Saskatchewan MLA’s are seeing an uptick in the number of hitchhikers along the provinces highways.

Prince Albert Carlton MLA and former minister of STC Joe Hargrave, said he frowns on the practise of hitchhiking. He recommended people ask for rides from friends or family before having to rely on their thumbs.

“We don’t like to see anybody hitchhiking, I don’t think it’s safe for anybody to hitchhike,” Hargrave said. “I strongly encourage people to look for alternatives.”

The transportation alternatives Hargrave suggested include medical taxi services which are available in northern communities, or options offered through social services.

He said he hopes to see private enterprises or service clubs who are considering expansion into transportation pick up the STC’s slack.

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“We’re optimistic that more services will come on board and will cover off a lot of the transportation,” Hargrave said. “We’re hoping family or friends will check with [hitchhikers] before they take off from one community to another.”

Officials from Hargrave’s offices confirmed hitchhiking is not illegal in the province; it is up to individual municipalities to determine the legality.

Buckley Belanger, the NDP MLA for Athabasca said he doesn’t feel as though Hargrave understands the transportation challenges faced by low income residents.

“Many people don’t have the option of getting rides as easy as Mr. Hargrave would suggest,” Belanger said. “When it comes to this issue, Mr. Hargrave simply doesn’t get it.”

The MLA said the closure of STC poses a great risk to people’s safety and cited British Columbia’s Highway of Tears as an example.

He praised the B.C. government for introducing a public transportation route along Highway 16, a passage notorious for many deaths and abductions of Indigenous women and girls.

MLA Doyle Vermette said Hargrave’s comments are confusing. He said he doesn’t understand how the minister could close down STC, but come down on people hitchhiking for transportation.

“What would he like them to do? If their families aren’t going to be able to give them a ride, or maybe their families don’t have vehicles, or friends aren’t travelling, can the minister provide a ride for them?” Vermette asked.

Vermette, the NDP MLA of Cumberland, said he’s personally had to help people with rides to larger centers for various reasons.

While more transportation companies are opening up in the southern portions of Saskatchewan, neither NDP MLA had heard of such operations offering services to northern communities. Both said the current lack of services boils down to profitability. Routes like Prince Albert to Saskatoon, or Regina to Saskatoon are more appealing to private companies as opposed to routes farther north.

“Yes, companies are going to pop up here and there, and granted, they’re there to make money and there’s nothing wrong with that,” Belanger said. “Just so people know, you’re going to see certain routes that’ll be taken that are lucrative but the price for that bus service is going to increase.”

Bryan.Eneas@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @BryanEneas