Saskatoon Transit received the Innovation Award at the 2023 CUTA Awards Ceremony.

Canadian start-up Preteckt partnered with Saskatoon Transit to implement their artificial intelligence (AI) for predictive maintenance. This AI, initially designed for heavy-duty trucks, analyzes vast data sets and uses AI to predict issues before they disrupt service. Despite initial skepticism, Saskatoon Transit embraced the innovation under CUTA’s Transit Vision 2040 theme, demonstrating leadership in Canadian transit.

The AI seamlessly integrates with Saskatoon Transit’s existing systems, enabling early issue detection and informed repair decisions, ultimately reducing costs. Saskatoon Transit stands as Canada’s pioneer in using AI for transit vehicle maintenance. This project’s success isn’t solely attributed to technology; it requires courage, effective leadership, and resource commitment. The process involved setting pilot objectives, procuring new technology, and integrating it into continuous improvement procedures. Training played a crucial role in implementation, with ongoing efficiencies anticipated.

Despite challenges posed by COVID-19, the team’s unwavering commitment to CUTA’s Transit Vision drove this groundbreaking technology adoption. The solution, originally designed for the trucking industry, is highly cost-effective and has significantly reduced diagnostic time, savings on parts, improved maintenance efficiency, and reduced environmental impact, particularly beneficial for zero-emission buses.