St. John’s Mayor Danny Breen admits the cost of diesel had a big impact on city operations in 2022, but he’s hopeful those inflationary pressures will smooth out over time.

The city struggled with rising costs, particularly as it affected the operation of Metrobus. The city had been looking to the federal government for a rebate to offset some of those costs, but to no avail.

Breen says the city is currently looking at a $4-million a year increase in spending on diesel alone.

However, with Metrobus ridership up, and gas prices starting to settle, Breen is hopeful that diesel prices will follow suit.

He says that, plus some one-time money in their city budget, should smooth that increase out over time.