I agree with many people who would like to see reliable, regular transportation up and down Vancouver Island from Campbell River to Victoria.
Warren Bailey (letter to the editor The NEWS, April 9) suggests vans; I fail to see how this addresses the problem of too many vehicles on the road that several people have expressed concern about.
After having travelled in many countries throughout the world, I realized that Canada is the only country that does not have regular local and national rail service. There is no reason why a railway cannot operate up and down Vancouver Island, carrying people and freight in a regular, efficient manner except that we do not seem to have a Canadian with the vision or ability to do the job. How much would it cost to attract a vice-president from a railway system in France, Portugal, Spain, Ireland, Scotland or England to come here for a year and get things moving like at home?
Although I am 80 this year I am still quite active, but I know some people, some younger, some older, who have difficulty getting to appointments from Parksville to Victoria, and an elderly lady who regularly took the train up to Parksville from Victoria to visit a friend here who has not been able to easily travel since the train shut down.
I have a very good mountain bike but I am not about to hop on it and take a bike trail to Victoria, or even Nanaimo, so let’s nix that goofy plan. I also hope to get older and will have the same problem my elderly friends are having with travel. These are the people, along with younger folks who cannot afford a car in Europe, riding the wonderful rail systems.
Of course, Canada still has our RCMP still wasting their valuable time harassing people trying to aid suffering people with their cannabis products, so I will not hold my breath waiting for some workable, common sense actions.
Ed FergussonParksville
