2 days Ago By Brody Langager
A Saskatoon Transit safety plan is showing some positive early signs and outcomes, according to a report going to the city’s transportation committee. The report says Saskatoon Transit employees saw an increase of aggressive and violent incidents at the beginning of 2024, prompting the creation of the Saskatoon Transit Frontline Employee Safety Plan. A commitment to undertake 17 initiatives to improve workplace safety was created last June.
According to the report, which goes to the transportation committee on Tuesday, the total number of negative interactions in 2024 were higher than 2023, with incidents peaking in April and May. After the safety plan was implemented, the city says, negative interactions involving operators or passengers began to decline in July, and the second half of 2024 showed improvements. “Of note, there were no operator assaults from July to December, compared to six from January to June.
There has been one operator assault in the first quarter of 2025,” the report reads. The report says all of the initiatives have been addressed and implemented except for the updated respectful and harassment-free workplace policy, which is currently being worked on. Listed initiatives include increasing the uniform presence by having more transit supervisors and contracted commissionaires around, creating a transit rider-ban process, streamlining the process for an operator to report an incident to police, and introducing the fire-community support team to terminals and buses.
According to the report, a reoccurring factor in the negative interactions seen last year involved operators asking passengers about fare payment, asking them about their destination or asking them to leave the bus. The report says operators will take part in a service ambassador training program, which has a de-escalation component. More information on the negative interactions last year will be part of Saskatoon Transit’s annual report, set to be presented in the second quarter of 2025.
A survey was also given to transit employees in February, resulting in mixed responses. “Employees are aware of the plan, and most feel that more time and additional efforts on these initiatives will help improve safety,” the report reads. The survey found employees equally feel more safe and less safe since June of last year, and that many reported feeling no change in safety at work since the safety plan launched.
It was noted that some initiatives began in January, so that impact might not have been visible. Passengers were also surveyed through the transit app over three weeks spaced out between November and December 2024. The city said roughly 1,600 passengers responded to the survey each week.
Results from the first survey saw 51 per cent of people rate the ride as very safe, 47 per cent rated it as fine, and two per cent rated it as not so safe. The second survey saw 43 per cent of people rating the ride as very safe, 53 per cent rating it as fine, and five per cent rating it as not so safe. The last survey saw 55 per cent of people rate their ride as very safe, 42 per cent as fine, and three per cent as not so safe.
Steps noted in the report to improve rider safety include exploring an option for passengers to discreetly report safety and security issues in real time over text messages..
