TOLL FREE SERVICE INTRODUCED FOR HIGHWAY HOTLINE

Highways and Transportation Minister Judy Bradley today introduced

toll free service enabling all Saskatchewan residents to have access

to the Highway Hotline.



"Until now the hotline had 15 different locations across the province

each with a different telephone number but people living outside those

locations were required to pay long distance charges to receive

information," Bradley announced at a Weyburn news conference. "We now

have just three phone numbers for the Highway Hotline. We are

retaining the existing hotline numbers for Regina and Saskatoon and

introducing the new 1-888-335-7623 (ROAD) number for the rest of

Saskatchewan."



The Highway Hotline provides recorded information on a 24-hour basis.

Information on the hotline is updated at 8 a.m., 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.

daily during the winter or whenever conditions change during severe

weather. Saskatchewan Highways and Transportation staff from 82 areas

across the province provide information to 15 offices who in turn make

the updates to a central computer system. During the summer updates

are done daily at 10:00 a.m. The information is also available on the

Internet.



When calling the Highway Hotline people should know the highway

number they want details about. Callers can select information

on winter and summer road conditions, ferries, ice road

crossings, out-of-province road information numbers in winter and

spring road restrictions. The hotline receives more than 350,000

inquiries every year.



"Calling the hotline before traveling promotes safer highways,"

Bradley said. "By eliminating long distance charges and making

it easier to access, we encourage greater use of this valuable

service. We're proud to have the most sophisticated and timely

road information system on the prairies."



The new toll free service also eliminates all costs to the deaf

and hard of hearing. Previously, the deaf and hard of hearing

had toll free calling to the SaskTel Relay Services operator, but

had to pay the long distance charges to access Hotline

information.



Highway Hotline Phone Numbers:

Regina City and surrounding area:(306) 787-7623 (ROAD).

Saskatoon City and surrounding area: (306) 933-8333.

The new toll free number for all other areas of the province:

1-888-335-7623 (ROAD).

Internet: http://www.gov.sk.ca/govt/highways/



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For more information, contact:



Gary McClelland

Road Information Manager

Highways and Transportation

Saskatoon

Phone: (306) 933-5228