Three firms approved to operate bus routes replacing Greyhound in B.C.
With Greyhound’s departure from B.C. less than two weeks away, three companies have received approval to operate new bus routes between Vancouver, Kamloops, Kelowna and the Alberta border.
Greyhound announced in July that it would pull out of B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and northern Ontario at the end of October, after suffering millions of dollars in losses from a 46-percent drop in ridership since 2010. Only a bus route between Vancouver and Seattle will continue.
In order to restore service to people who will be affected by the service cancellation, B.C.’s Passenger Transportation Board — which is responsible for approving inter-city bus routes — is “fast-tracking” applications and using a simplified process to encourage operators to fill the gap on routes that will be abandoned by Greyhound.
According to the board, “Greyhound’s departure from B.C. will leave many areas of the province without intercity bus service and access to essential services, such as work and education, and safe transportation.”
The first to be approved was an application from Regina-based Rider Express Transportation, which plans to operate a route from the Alberta border to Vancouver via Highway 1 and Highway 5. There will be 14 stops, including Golden, Salmon Arm, Chase, Merritt and Langley.
It will be a reservation-based service that runs seven days a week, with two departure times each day.
It will use four, 55-passenger wheelchair-accessible buses on the route.
Rider Express eventually plans to run service between B.C., Alberta, Manitoba and Ontario.
Alberta-based Diversified Transportation, doing business as Ebus, proposes adding two routes serving Vancouver, Kamloops and Kelowna.
The Vancouver-Kamloops route would provide daily semi-express departures from Vancouver and Kamloops — one in the morning and one in the afternoon or evening.
Buses will travel along Highway 1 and Highway 5, and additional stops could be made in Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Hope and Merritt.
There would also be two daily express departures from both Vancouver and Kamloops via Kelowna in the morning and afternoon. The first leg of the trip will be between Kamloops and Kelowna along Highway 1 and 97, via Vernon, and the second leg is between Kelowna and Vancouver along Highway 97C, Highway 5 and Highway 1.
Bookings for the reservation-only service will be made via website, over the phone and in person.
Diversified already offers transportation services in five provinces and one territory.
John Stepovy, director of business development with Ebus, said the company is moving “full steam ahead” and hopes to be up and running by Nov. 1, so there is no interruption in service when Greyhound withdraws.