Numerous southwest Saskatchewan residents rallied together this afternoon to protest the decision made by the Saskatchewan government to cut provincial funding to Saskatchewan Transportation Company (STC).

The petition signing was to lobby for the Sask Party government to reverse their decision on the STC. The signing was held during noon hour in front of local MLA and Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall's office in downtown Swift Current.

Brenda Cooke organizer behind the petition signing says she feels just because some individuals don't use certain services, doesn't mean they aren't necessary.

"I don't use the jails, I don't use the court systems, I don't use the provincial parks," she said. "None of those things make a profit and yet my tax dollars are being use towards all of those services."

The petition signing will continue every Wednesday during lunch hour outside of Brad Wall's office until the beginning of May.

The STC operated for seventy years covering over 250 communities across the province and will will close its doors at the end of May.

According to a press release from March 22nd, a total of 224 staff will be impacted by the closure.

"As ridership has declined and costs have increased, STC’s subsidy has reached unsustainable levels," Crown Investments Minister Joe Hargrave said in a press release. "STC’s per passenger subsidy has grown from $25 per passenger 10 years ago to $94 per passenger today.

"Over the next five years, STC is forecasted to require more than $85.0 million in subsidies to continue operating. Our government believes that those funds can be put to better use elsewhere in government," he added.

Within the past five years, services had already started being cutted by the province, with all bus service to and from Shaunavon being suspended in 2013.