After years of contracting Brewster Canada to provide bus drivers, Roam Transit will begin hiring its own staff this year for the Banff local service.
The move to bring the service in-house was prompted by Roam general manager Koji Miyaji, who said the primary reason is for long-term cost savings.
“Brewster has been great – they have operated with us for a number of years and ran the Roam local service in Banff prior to us being here for a number of years as well,” Miyaji said. “And they continue to provide the regional service contract for us too, but we felt perhaps it is about time we step up and start to do this on our own.”
While Roam began as a Town of Banff service and the Brewster contract was signed several years ago, the Bow Valley Transit Commission was established two years ago to see regional transit between Canmore and Banff established. As a result, the commission also took over the Banff local service.
“I think we as an organization are ready to take on this responsibility and by looking at it from an operational perspective and also from a cost savings perspective, we feel that we can provide a very good and very similar service to how it has been provided by the contractor,” Miyaji said.
That cost savings for 2014 would begin in April, when the contract with Brewster expires and Miyaji estimated an initial savings of an estimated $20,000. Beyond this year, he estimated an annual savings of $50,000 to $100,000.
“Brewster does this as a business so they do a very good job, but they have to bring in a profit margin, which there is no question why they have to do that,” Miyaji said.
“We, on the other hand, are not profit-based so we don’t have to mark up any overhead for staff or whatnot and we can pay them competitively and that is where some of the savings will come from,” he said.
Savings for the public service in Banff means a savings for taxpayers as well, which is important, according to commission chair Sean Krausert.
“Essentially, it saves us a whack of cash in our annual budget, which therefore reduces the overall cost of the operation and reduces the amount of requisition that is required from the taxpayers and in this particular case this would all benefit the Banff taxpayer because it is the Banff local service,” Krausert said. “I think it is a logical next step to bring those services in-house and lay the foundation for doing so for future elements of the commission.”
He added the move also benefits the commission because it will have its own operations manager, which provides greater depth within the organization.
While the seven to eight full-time drivers will be hired and trained by the commission, the regional service between Banff and Canmore will remain with Brewster as that contract does not expire until the end of 2014.
Roam has also recently opened up a new customer care centre in the downtown area of Banff. Located at 221 Beaver St. Krausert said the location allows for a better presence for the service.
