Sask. Rivers board puts out tender request for new buses

(Herald file photo)

The Saskatchewan Rivers School Division is putting a request for tenders on buses.

At their regular meeting on Monday, the board passed a motion to purchase four new buses, and negotiate the purchase of a fifth used bus.

Chief Financial Officer Jerrold Pidborochynski presented the results of a request for proposal for the purchase of buses as part of the Board’s regular maintenance plan for the fleet.

“We have to renew some of the buses on our fleet every year,” education director Robert Bratvold said. “We only use buses for so long and then we send them to auction. They are still very serviceable buses, but we keep our fleet well maintained.”

Because of supply chain challenges, the board has had to send out a request for proposals earlier and earlier each year. Bratvold said that has caused some budget challenges for the division

“We try to make sure we extend the costs during the year for our budget,” he explained. “You sometimes don’t get your equipment until the following year, and you don’t want to pay for something you don’t have, so there is all kinds of implications there.”

The plan is to use the new buses as part of the school division’s rural fleet.

“Generally, although not always, we will put the buses that are newer into the rural routes where reliability is I guess more urgent,” Bratvold said.

Bratvold added that there are exceptions to that rule, but he’s confident the current city fleet remains modern and reliable.

michael.oleksyn@paherald.sk.ca

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