The federal transport minister says the government will split funding for bus service on rural routes abandoned by Greyhound in northern Ontario and the Western provinces but so far only British Columbia has taken him up on the offer.
Marc Garneau has met with B.C. Transportation Minister Claire Trevena for a fourth time on a 50/50 cost-sharing plan to service routes that were dropped when Greyhound shut down operations last fall.
READ MORE: ‘A blooming shame:’ Greyhound officially ends service in B.C.
Garneau says he’s waiting for Trevena’s ministry to provide a list of routes as well as costs and there won’t be a cap on how much Ottawa will pay for the arrangement that would last two years.
He says all 10 provinces have also formed a group, led by B.C., to consider long-term solutions for inter-city bus travel.
Trevena says B.C. has paid $2 million on a bus service for the northern part of the province, which will be included in the cost-sharing plan.
She says the aim is to provide safe and affordable transportation for underserved areas, including those that are home to Indigenous communities that were dependent on Greyhound.
READ MORE: Bus that replaced Greyhound not meeting once-a-day trip requirement
READ MORE: Fragmented bus service market emerges as Greyhound exits Western Canada
The Canadian Press
