The news Monday that Greyhound was shutting down bus operations in Western Canada dropped like a bombshell.
If you’ve never taken one of the buses, then perhaps you can be forgiven for wondering what all the fuss is about.
Greyhound’s routes provide a lifeline for B.C.’s small towns and for Metro Vancouverites alike.
Social media lit up with stories of people who were teenagers and took the bus to go see relatives in towns across the province.
Others shared stories about how they can’t drive or don’t own a vehicle and rely on the bus to connect with the rest of B.C. and other parts of Western Canada.
Small towns are hit particularly hard, with mayors from such places as Osoyoos and Clinton talking about the damage it will do to its citizens.
Even worse is that the safety of people is at risk as some could be forced to hitchhike in order to travel.
Effective Oct. 31, Ontario and Quebec will be the only regions where Greyhound’s buses will travel.
The exception is a route in B.C. between Vancouver and Seattle that will be operated by the company’s American affiliate, the company said Monday.
The company is blaming a 41-per-cent drop in ridership since 2010.
So what happens now?
Claire Trevena, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure, recognized the importance of the issue in a statement: “Greyhound’s decision to completely eliminate service in Western Canada by Oct. 31, 2018, is hugely problematic for people who depend on Greyhound in the Interior, Sea-to-Sky, and to get to and from Alberta. This move will leave people with limited options to get around, and this will likely impact the most vulnerable … In the weeks and months ahead, I will be sitting down with other service providers, the private sector and local government to discuss how we can ensure people have access to safe, reliable and affordable transportation to get from one community to the next. In the meantime, I hope that other local, private operators will see an opportunity to bring a badly needed service to the parts of the province most affected by Greyhound’s decision.”
Unfortunately, when Greyhound scaled back much of its northern service previously, no other private operator stepped in to fill the void.
This brings into doubt the likelihood of a private company starting up a new service, which would mean the province will have to look at starting up its own service.
Something has to be done. Keeping our province connected is too important to ignore.
