By Derek Cornet

NLSD suspends bus company from providing service in tri-communities

Sep 17, 2018 | 5:00 PM

An overcrowded school bus, an employee caught on film not driving safely and a student who was let off at a wrong stop could be some of the reasons Allinone Conveyance had its busing contract suspended Saturday by the Northern Light School Division’s board of education.

Those are some of the problems Operations Manager Katherine Lowenberg said the company faced during it first week of transporting students in Air Ronge and La Ronge. While she noted there weren’t as many setbacks last week, she added her father, Larry Lowenberg, attended a board meeting Sept. 14 and left with a fairly strong feeling everything would be OK and would work out in their favour.

“However, on Saturday we got a call from one of the board members saying we were suspended until further notice and they weren’t willing to elaborate on that any further at the time,” she said. “We still haven’t heard anything else in regards to this situation.”

On the same day, parents were notified by Northern Lights to make alternate arrangements for transportation of their children who attend Churchill Community High School, Pre-Cam Community School or Gordon Denny Community School. This morning staff were outside helping to direct traffic as parking lots were much more congested than normal.

Despite some of the issues Allinone encountered this month, Lowenberg stated the company is in compliance with its contract with Northern Lights and is ready to provide the service they were asked to do. She expects to hear back from the board of education Tuesday as to what will happen moving forward.

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 “We’re working on our plan and continuing to do what we can in the office to get Northern Lights back on board with us, but they’re not communicating,” Lowenberg said.

Earlier this summer, the board of education awarded Allinone a five-year contract to provide service in La Ronge, Air Ronge and other northern communities. The company replaced NorthWinds Bus Lines, which had been working with the school division since 2008. At the time, Director of Education Jason Young said he didn’t anticipate any issues with the new company taking over this month.

In an interview with larongeNOW, Young said he couldn’t comment on the suspension of Allinone, adding busing for remainder of the week is yet to be determined. He recommends parents to keep track of what happening on the Northern Lights website and Facebook page.

“I do appreciate the parents’ patience at this time and ask parents, and other guardians and caregivers who are picking up their children, to just be patient as they go through the streets and parking lots of schools,” Young said.

derek.cornet@jpbg.ca

Twitter: @saskjourno