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Greyhound announces rural fund plan

Greyhound is lobbying the B.C. government to subsidize rural bus routes
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Greyhound Canada is proposing establishing a provincial rural bus fund to ensure citizens have access to transportation no matter where they live in B.C.

In an emailed press release Greyhound suggests the creation of a Connecting Communities Fund that would be administered by local municipalities and doled out through a competitive tender process.

“The competitive process would be open to all bidders to select the best private sector transportation provider by community. We share the belief that BC residents should have access to intercity bus transportation options, and private sector operators can ramp up quickly to provide cost-effective services,” the release stated.

The idea comes after years of changes to Greyhound schedules in rural communities including the most recent cutbacks proposed that would re-route the Vancouver to Osoyoos bus eliminating all stops in the Similkameen Valley from Manning Park to Keremeos. If approved by the B.C. Transportation Board, the bus would be re-routed to Kelowna at Hope.

Greyhound has also proposed cuts to five routes including Victoria to Nanaimo, Prince George to Prince Rupert, Prince George to Valemount, Prince George to Dawson Creek and Dawson Creek to Whitehorse.

The release states that ridership has dropped significantly since 2010 because of offerings by other inter-city transportation providers.

Through an agreement between the Regional District Okanagan-Similkameen and B.C. Transit bus service is offered throughout the region. They system links Kelowna to most communities in the RDOS through a varied schedule. Depending on where a person gets on the system it could take more than a day to arrive in Kelowna because of schedule limitations. B.C. Transit receives local and provincial subsidies to operate.

“I know that the proposed route reductions will be a difficult change for affected passengers and communities, and we deeply regret having to issue this filing. The situation has come to a head, however, and despite a long-standing series of corrective measures and discussions with policy makers, the reality is that we can no longer operate the unsustainable routes, and we are proposing changes that will make other BC routes more viable,” Stuart Kendrick, senior vice-president of Greyhound Canada states in the press release.

“We are continuing our discussions regarding viable options for rural connectivity in British Columbia with the provincial and federal governments. We will continue to provide up-to-date information, signifying our ongoing commitment to our customers.”

In response to Greyhound Canada asking for a letter of support for its proposed rural fund solution, regional district directors requested an in-depth report on the state of bus transportation in the region. That information is expected in the New Year.

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