Greyhound shuttering puts women’s shelters at risk: PATHS

The cancellation of Greyhound will be detrimental to those in Saskatchewan’s domestic violence shelters, according to the Provincial Association of Transition Houses and Services of Saskatchewan (PATHS).

Jo-Anne Dusel, the association’s executive director, said the bus service’s shuttering decreases access to safe, reliable transportation for women and their children fleeing abuse.

“At the very worst, what it means is that women may be stuck in violent situations that could ultimately lead to homicide,” she said, adding buses act as lifelines for the most vulnerable people in society.

“They often wouldn’t have the finances to have a vehicle, or have someone who could provide a ride — or for confidentiality reasons, they might not want anyone to know where they’re going.”

Dusel said the closure puts women in rural areas at the greatest risk as they’re most likely to be killed in domestic disputes and — without access to a bus — their options are limited to find a safe and private way out.

Shee fears many women will have to resort to hitchhiking or catching rides with people they don’t know very well.

Greyhound plans to stop every route west of Ontario by Oct. 31 with the exception of a route between Vancouver and Seattle.