Buses are rolling again in Saskatoon after the city announced over the weekend that it would not proceed with a second transit lockout.
Regular bus service resumed Monday morning at 6 a.m. local time, and residents will be able to ride the transit system for free until the end of the month.
In addition to free rides, the city will also be refunding bus passes. The gesture is expected to cost the city an estimated $630,000.
The city voted Saturday to withdraw its second lockout notice to the transit union, after the labour relations board ruled that the first lockout, which began last month, was illegal.
Saskatoon Mayor Don Atchison told reporters over the weekend that he didn't want to put the city's residents through a potentially long labour dispute.
"If there is even the slightest chance of us being turned down by the labour relations board once again, that it is illegal, that would be a tremendous hardship on the citizens of Saskatoon, and we don't want that," he said.
The labour board ruled that the city illegally locked out transit workers because a complaint regarding the discipline of a bus driver was still unresolved when the lockout notice was issued.
Meanwhile, residents told CTV Saskatoon they were just happy to hear that bus service would be back.
"It's going to be way easier, you don't have to bundle up as much," student Alex Gunn said. "It's definitely a big relief for sure."
