Paratransit today is often associated with door to services provided to people with disabilities that prevent them from using regular transit services, however, the original definition encompassed anything other than conventional fixed route transit. This includes such schemes as shared-taxi, dial-a-bus, minibuses, as well as services for people with disabilities. In more recent years, on demand would be included in this, being a modern form of dial-a-bus. Edmonton Transit in the late 1970's was trying to find ways to provide transit service to low demand areas at a lower cost. The first try was in 1979 with a shared-ride taxi in Riverdale which was unsuccessful. Edmonton Transit would experiment next with Dial-A-Bus starting with Riverbend on November 13, 1983, and Dial-A-Bus would continue until the implementation of Horizon 2000 on June 29, 1997. Although it wasn't initially considered to be paratransit, the first operation of small, cutaway-style buses in transit service was the SLRT shuttle operating through Downtown during the construction of the Bay and Corona LRT extension. Initially contracted out to the private sector, Edmonton Transit would bring it in house. We don't know what happened to the 2 buses after they were no longer needed. The next scheme was the important one as it relates to this page. On April 23. 1989 Edmonton Transit launched a demonstration paratransit project serving Alberta Hospital and the Evergreen community. This route used a Blue Bird Micro Bird, presumably an ex school bus, painted into regular Edmonton Transit livery, and operated outside of peak periods when the 301 wasn't running.
The use of a mini-bus to provide service during low demand periods would expand during the 1990's and grow and include the Westmount community bus, and next South Park Service Plus, using mini-buses to provide service to areas where a conventional bus wouldn't operate.
And that is what this page is here to focus on, the buses used on these early paratransit routes. Our knowledge on the history of these vehicles is very limited. It appears some of them (vans, Girardin's) were former DATS vehicles. #50 appears to have been a new purchase specifically for Edmonton Transit.

Thumbnail	Bus #	Date	Description
Ford Econoline / Thomas Minotour #S1-S2- These 2 buses operated a shuttle service in the Downtown area during construction of Bay and Corona Stations as part of the push to extend the LRT to the south.
	S1		#S1 sitting on 99 St. just north of 102 Ave.
	S2		#S2 westbound on 102A Ave with Churchill Square behind.
Ford Econoline Van Raised Roof Wheelchair Conversion- We don't have much information on these buses. My best information is from a Edmonton Transit facts booklet that included 2- 7 passenger vans. I certainly never spotted them in service, but completely by chance one Christmas Day this thing came along in Edmonton Transit stripes. A bit later I found it (or another?) in the Bonnie Doon area and got more pics, but that didn't really answer any questions about fleet numbers.
	????	December 25, not sure which year now!	ex ETS passenger van turning onto Mill Woods Road from 28 Ave.
			Probably the same bus, this time in the Bonnie Doon area.
			Probably the same bus, this time in the Bonnie Doon area.
			Probably the same bus, this time in the Bonnie Doon area.
Ford Girardin #48, 49, 51, 52
	48 and 51?	June 1997	2 of ETS's Girardin's awaiting their next runs at Ferrier Garage. These buses were powered by propane, the last ETS buses so far to be powered by that fuel.
	48	1999	#48 at Southgate on a route 304.
	48	1999	#48 at Southgate on a route 304.
	48	1999	#48 at Southgate on a route 304.
Ford Goshen GC II #50
	50	1998	ETS #50 at Clareview Station as a route 302.
	50	2001	ETS #50 sitting retired behind Westwood Garage.
Ford Girardin- Following their use by ETS, some of Ford Girardin's may have returned to use by DATS contractors. #51 ended up running at the Waste Management Centre as part of a history of buses that have operated at the centre.
	N/A	2000	DATS bus northbound on 66 St and 28 Ave. Note the original black and white DATS logo that was familiar during the late 1990's and early 2000's.
	N/A	2004	DATS bus eastbound on Jasper Ave at 100A St. This bus features newer DATS signage.
	N/A	August 2005	DATS unit southbound on 112 St at 83 Ave. This wasn't too long before DATS was brought back in house by Edmonton.
	N/A	August 2005	DATS unit southbound on 112 St at 83 Ave. Note the Edmonton Transit style "Illegal to pass" and bike decals. More than likely this was an ex ETS bus.

This page last updated on December 8, 2025.

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