With the STC ceasing operations in the province over a year ago, Rider Express Transportation is looking to fill the gap left by the bus company and help prairie residents get from one city to another.

Rider Express has a number of routes between Regina, Saskatoon, and Prince Albert, as well as trips between Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver. The only route that will stop in Moose Jaw, however, is Calgary to Winnipeg.

Firat Uray is the owner of Rider Express. He says that the Friendly City wasn't added to more because ridership was down during their trial runs.

"We tried to run a Saskatoon route through Moose Jaw, and we put a direct service from Moose Jaw to Regina, and same thing – we didn't get enough volume. The bus was only carrying one passenger and it was adding a half hour more just to pass through Moose Jaw."

"[Riders] were paying so much less with the STC because it's a government supported company. We are a private company – we can't run for $7. It doesn't cover our cost, so we couldn't get enough students."

Routes between Calgary, Edmonton and Winnipeg were also set to start in November, but they decided to hold off.

"It's been a really slow season and we didn't get enough ridership, so we are holding it until Dec 3rd. We are starting again the Calgary to Winnipeg route that passes through Moose Jaw."

If you are picked up in Moose Jaw during the Calgary to Winnipeg route, you have the option to get out at any stop on the way to the bus' final destination.

Uray says they are hoping to add trips to Toronto in the near future.