A cluster of private bus companies have stepped up to replace routes left vacant by Greyhound when it pulled out of Western Canada at midnight on Wednesday, Oct. 31. Of the private bus companies approved for service, only one has plans to travel through Cache Creek and Clinton along the Highway 1/97 corridor.
Merritt Shuttle Bus Services has been approved to operate inter-city bus service (by reservation only) on six routes. One of its routes (Route E) will go from Merritt to Spences Bridge and up Highways 1 and 97 to Prince George, with pick-up stops in Cache Creek and Clinton.
The company will also run routes from Lower Nicola to Kamloops, from Kamloops to Highland Valley, from Merritt to Highland Valley, from Merritt to Spences Bridge to Langley, and from Merritt to Kelowna.
Company co-owner Gene Field says the express route from Merritt to Prince George will run three days a week—Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays—and that if ridership dictates, it could become a daily trip.
“If it turns out that it’s getting huge demand then in the spring we can extend it to every day.”
The company does not own the buses yet, but Field said he has seven shuttle buses lined up, plus possible investors with enough capital to fund them. Three of those buses will run the express route from Merritt to Prince George. “We’re kind of doing this on a wing and a prayer sort of thing.”
100 Mile House and Williams Lake will both have rest stops, according to Field. In addition to Cache Creek and Clinton, the route will have pick-up stops in 70 Mile House, 100 Mile House, Williams Lake, and more.
Field says they are planning to transport cargo as well, another major service that left along with Greyhound. When asked how the company will do all this while making rates affordable, Field says they’re going by a “less is more” philosophy, noting that the company plans to run 22-passenger shuttles, unlike Greyhound’s buses with 50 or 55 seats. This means they’ll have more manageable fuel costs than their predecessors, he notes.
“We’ve got a couple of other revenue streams that we’re accessing that will allow us to keep our express runs afloat, plus I think we’ll get enough ridership … We’ll be able to survive just fine.”
The Passenger Transportation Branch has given the company until Nov. 21 to get wheels in motion, but Field says their goal is to be rolling by Nov. 15. “I honestly believe that we can do it.”
Merritt Shuttle Bus Services has no website to speak of (yet), aside from its social media page. Field says they plan to launch a website soon, where the public can seek more information about its passenger and freight services. Passengers will also be able to purchase tickets through their website once their buses are up and running.
The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure announced in a media release last week that 83 per cent of the routes left vacant by Greyhound will be covered by the end of 2018.
“For so many British Columbians, reliable bus service is critical for work, family life, health care, and so much more,” says Claire Trevena, minister of transportation and infrastructure.
“I’m pleased that private bus operators have stepped up and worked with us to make sure British Columbians will continue to travel around our province safely and affordably.”
Other companies approved to offer bus services are:
– Silver City Stagelines from Nelson to Kelowna
– Rider Express Transportation from Vancouver to the Alberta border
– Whistler Rides from Vancouver to Pemberton
– Diversified Transportation (Ebus) from Vancouver to Kamloops, Kamloops to Kelowna, and Kelowna to Vancouver
Other companies that have applied for bus services are:
– Blue Cactus Coach Lines (Snowbus) from Richmond to Whistler and Burnaby to Whistler
– Wilson’s Transportation from Vancouver to Kamloops, Kelowna, and Whistler
– 108129 BC Ltd. (Little Shuswap Taxi) from Salmon Arm to Kamloops
– Cantrail Coach Lines Ltd. from Vancouver to Pemberton
With files from Barbara Roden
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