Watson Lake Bus Lines has submitted the low bid for all nine school bus routes in the territory over the next five years, according to tender results received last Thursday.

The Whitehorse company broke into the school bus business in a major way three years ago when it displaced Diversified Transportation Ltd. from several of the routes. They included the Whitehorse routes that Diversified had operated for three decades.

It has managed the five routes over the past three years the length of the contract but has now entered the low bid on all nine routes for a new five-year contract.

For the Whitehorse and area routes, Watson Lake Bus Lines bid $1.87 million per year. That compares to $1.96 million by First Bus Canada Ltd. from Regina and $2.02 million by A-Line Buses Ltd. of Whitehorse.

• Watson Lake: Watson Lake Bus lines, $104,000; A-Line Buses, $108,452; Norline Coaches of Whitehors, 108,640.

• Carmacks: Watson Lake Bus Lines, $45,600; A-Line Buses, $49,310; Coal Mine Transport of Carmacks, $49,899; Norline Coaches Yukon of Whitehorse, $54,900.

• Carcross: Watson Lake Bus Lines, $91,200; A-Line Buses, $102,328; Norline Coaches, $108,610.

• Mayo: Watson Lake Bus Lines, $45,600; A-Line Buses, $62,276; Norline Coaches, $64,900.

• Dawson City: Watson Lake Bus Lines, $114,000; Norline Coaches, $114,640; A-Line Buses, $118,622.

• Haines Junction: Watson Lake Bus Lines, $45,600; A-Line Buses, $49,310; Norline Coaches, $59,850.

• Teslin: Watson Lake Bus Lines, $45,600; A-Line Buses, $54,060; Norline Coaches, $59,850.

• Pelly Crossing: Watson Lake Bus Lines, $45,600; A-Line Buses, $48,593; Norline Coaches, $54,900.

Dea Hrebien of the Department of Education said this morning the government's contract services branch will review the bids to see everything is in order, then submit them to the department for consideration. It's likely the letters of award will go out toward the end of the week.

While Watson Lake Bus Lines currently holds five of the nine school bus contracts, A-Line Buses holds the other four.

Cost of living allowances are built in the contract for years three, four and five, Hrebien explained.