CHARLA HUBER
How Wilson’s is looking to fill key bus void left by departing Greyhound
During my late teens and early 20s, I worked a lot of seasonal jobs in the Rocky, Purcell and Selkirk mountain ranges. During those years, I didn’t own a car and found myself travelling on Greyhound buses.
I have taken the Greyhound on my own and with friends. I can remember the freeing feeling of being young without any ties and hopping on a Greyhound bus to seek out my next adventure and seasonal job.
The recent announcement that Greyhound was pulling its services from Western Canada reminded me of my earlier years travelling by bus. Those were really good nostalgic memories.
“I am not surprised it’s happened, but I am surprised it’s happening all at once,” said John Wilson, Wilson’s Transportation president and CEO.
When I moved to Victoria, I would take the Greyhound on the Island for day trips up to Nanaimo and even Duncan. The big news is that Greyhound is leaving Western Canada at the end of October, but Greyhound had already left the Island as of April.
Between Tofino Bus and Wilson’s Transportation, our bus service on the Island, for both passengers and freight, has continued.
I’ve learned the freight component to bus service is responsible for between 40 and 50 per cent of revenues. So, while a bus might appear to be lacking passengers, underneath it could be loaded with parcels.
When Wilson explained this to me, it reminded me that the bus service leaving Western Canada isn’t just affecting passengers, but parcels and other items that have to be shipped. I receive large packages from family, who always send them by bus because it’s an affordable way to send big items.
Greyhound has been a staple in bus transportation across Canada for as long as I can remember, and as Wilson explained: “Very few companies would be able to take on the whole network. Smaller companies may be able to take on one part of the network.”
I was excited to hear that Wilson’s Transportation was applying to take over the Greyhound routes from Vancouver to Kelowna, Kamloops and Whistler.
Wilson did acknowledge routes to these three B.C. cities would be busier, making it a good business move.
The tricky part is when it comes to the rural routes. They might carry fewer passengers, but are still a crucial service for many communities, primarily in the north.
“The government might need to step up and offer some subsidies,” said Wilson, and I agree. There was a time when I depended on the bus line to get me from B.C. to Alberta. There are still people who are using and depending on these services.
I am concerned that without scheduled affordable bus routes, people could turn to unsafe modes of transportation such as hitchhiking or using online classifieds to find rides with strangers. I am hopeful there is a way to keep these routes going and keep our rural communities connected to the bus network.
Greyhound has said that ridership is down, making it less profitable. Obviously, it wouldn’t pull service from half of the country without cause. Times are changing. Wilson explained car ownership has become more affordable over the past few decades and economy air travel has been gaining popularity.
“It’s a declining revenue business. The costs of operating buses have not gone down,” Wilson said. “Fuel prices are high and it’s $600,000 for a highway motor coach, plus the costs of repairs, maintenance and insurance. Driver costs are going up, too; drivers are getting harder to find.”
As in any business these days, it’s important to diversify. Wilson’s Transportation operates charter buses, school buses, Gray Line Sightseeing tours, the YYJ Airport Shuttle, the Capital City Station and the B.C. Ferries Connector service from downtown Victoria to downtown Vancouver.
“We want to be the connector to Vancouver and beyond,” Wilson said.
I am hopeful Wilson’s Transportation’s application will be successful for the additional routes, and I hope other bus service providers are also able to take on additional routes in their communities.
Even with Greyhound leaving Western Canada, I would like to see local businesses fill the need for their communities. Just as has already happened on Vancouver Island with Tofino Bus and Wilson’s Transportation.