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Edmonton Transit officials have a plan to deal with overcrowded and late-running buses by cutting service on several little used routes.

The plan would leave some neighbourhoods completely without service on evenings and with minimal service on weekends. But those routes are run with buses so empty, the city ends up subsidizing each ride by $9.50, according to a report bound for transportation committee Wednesday.

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“We know we have over-crowding and on-time performance issues on some of our busiest routes,” said Mayor Don Iveson.

“It will have an effect on some people,” he said of the plan. “We understand that. But when it’s costing us $9.50 a ride for service for less than 10 people per hour, while we have others literally being left at the curb on our busiest routes, I think it’s a prudent decision.”

If approved, the changes would take effect Sept. 1. The cuts would affect about 900 people on weekdays, 1,400 people on Saturdays and 1,100 people on Sundays.