Up to 20 people use Regina’s warming bus per hour, city says

As the cold weather continues, the City of Regina is seeing people use the warming bus that was reactivated earlier this month.

The bus, which is available from 9 p.m. to 9 a.m., is an overnight warming spot for those who sleep outside. It’s available seven days a week.

“There’s definitely people using it. We still have some room on the bus, but we’re getting pretty close (to capacity),” transit director Brad Bells said Friday.

He added there are around 13 to 20 people per hour on the warming bus.

“People do know we are there during the night and space is not available in other indoor warming shelters, so then they use the warming bus,” Bells said.

He also said the number of people on the bus throughout the week with the extreme cold spell has been pretty consistent.

“The bus has always had customers on it in that range,” Bells said.

He added there may be a slight uptick, but for the most part, the number of people using the bus is consistent.

Earlier this week, Mayor Sandra Masters said the city is also transporting people to a warming shelter if there is space.

“(This) is so folks don’t have to sit on a bus. They can sit in a warming shelter if there is space,” she said.

The city also said the warming bus will be in place until there is enough indoor warming spaces at shelters.

In November, the warming bus was suspended after the Awasiw Warming Place received federal funding, but that shelter quickly was at capacity and the warming bus program was restarted.