Carpe Diem withdraws bus application citing opposition

Carpe Diem is withdrawing its application to run a passenger bus service in Saskatchewan.

The Regina-based limo company had announced in April it wanted to run all of the STC routes and work in conjunction with other companies.

But the opposition its set to face at the Highway Traffic Board public hearing on Monday means they are pulling out. Carpe Diem would need to pull its application from the board.

Members of the group Save Our STC along with lawyers for the Amalgamated Transit Union are listed as opponents to several of the applications being made by private companies. 

“It is a pretty sad situation,” Carpe Diem general manager Mitch Blyth told Gormley.

Carpe Diem had planned to work in conjunction with several other companies that would act as a feeder system to ensure many, if not all, STC routes were covered.

Blyth contended all companies have now backed off.

“Since this couldn’t happen on June 1, 17 of them are now not interested for various reasons, one of them is they bragged around their town kind of, and they received threats,” Blyth alleged.

Carpe Diem and several other companies have received letters from lawyers stating opposition to their applications.

“Their pockets are bottomless so who wants to fight the good fight against this sort of thing,” Blyth added.

Two other hearings are scheduled for Tuesday.

Carpe Diem is continuing with its parcel service.