Greyhound owner FlixBus launching daily bus trips in Sask. starting July 1

FlixBus, a German busing company, is set to launch daily round trips between Regina, Saskatoon, and North Battleford in Saskatchewan. This move comes at a time when the bus market in the Prairies has been disrupted by the closure of the Saskatchewan Transportation Company and Greyhound services. FlixBus, which acquired Greyhound and has been operating in other Canadian provinces since 2022, will also provide daily service to Calgary and Edmonton from its three Saskatchewan hubs starting July 1.

Sara Tohamy, FlixBus’s strategic partnerships manager, highlighted the need for affordable cross-provincial travel in Saskatchewan, where owning a car is often the only option due to expensive gas prices and flights. The company’s direct routes between cities will offer a competitive alternative to Rider Express, which currently serves routes between Regina, Saskatoon, and Prince Albert, with connections to Edmonton, Calgary, and Winnipeg.

Firat Uray, the owner of Rider Express, expressed concerns about the impact of new competition on his business. He emphasized the importance of government support to expand bus routes to smaller communities in Saskatchewan. Despite facing challenges in the Saskatchewan bus market, Keith Willoughby, who heads the Edwards School of Business at the University of Saskatchewan, believes that increased competition could lead to a rise in bus travel popularity and growth in the industry.

The closure of the Saskatchewan Transportation Company in 2017 and Greyhound services in Western Canada in 2018 left many rural communities without access to formal bus services. Jacob Alhassan, a community health and epidemiology professor at the University of Saskatchewan, stressed the negative impact of reduced transportation access on rural communities’ mental health and healthcare costs.

Alhassan’s research on the STC shutdown highlighted the need for transportation options in underserved communities. He cautiously welcomed FlixBus’s entry into the Saskatchewan market, hoping for expanded routes to more communities. Tohamy acknowledged the importance of serving smaller communities often overlooked by transportation providers and expressed FlixBus’s willingness to explore serving these areas.

Overall, FlixBus’s expansion into Saskatchewan presents both challenges and opportunities for the bus industry in the province. With a focus on affordability and accessibility, the company aims to address the transportation needs of residents in Saskatchewan and potentially revitalize the bus travel market in the region.