A renewed operational service contract from Swift Current city council doesn't mean that the Swift Transit System is home free.

At city council Monday night City officials spoke about the public transit system that launched in April 2015, citing that the service is still on a trial period almost four years later.

Swift Current city councillor Ryan Plewis was the first to bring up the topic in council chambers stating that the City hasn't committed to the service indefinitely.

"Transit is something that we talk about a lot as a council when it comes to budget time," he said. "The reason why we talk about it a lot at budget time is because this is a service that we're providing to the City. This trial has been an extended trial would probably be the best way to put it, as we continue to seek efficiencies to make this service more efficient.

"If you're somebody who believes in this bus service and somebody who wants to see this bus service continue, I would encourage you to find out more about it and do what you can to support the service. Even with a chartered bus service that I see is available here, the revenues that come in don't even come close to covering the cost. We're very interested in shrinking that gap."

Plewis did add he doubts any public transit system in North America records a profit, but he said the City would like to move closer to the break-even mark.

According to Manager of Engineering Services with the City of Swift Current Jolene Peters, the City recovers about 30 per cent of the cost to run the Swift Transit System.

Following council Mitch Minken, the general manager of infrastructure and operations with the City, said that council has ordered a review of the busing system.

"Coming out of our budget cycle, that was the request, that we do a review of it this winter and we'd look to see if there are any incremental improvements that we can make," he said. "Or if council makes a decision to change something drastically. I mean that would come up after some planning."

There were around 24,000 riders last year on the public route, a number the City has been trying to stimulate by offering busing services to high school students.

"It's probably lower than we would like it to be in terms of the revenue generated from those rides," Minken said.