While Regional District of Nanaimo Transit was slated to provide Christmas Day bus service beginning next year, riders will be gifted with holiday transit a year earlier.
In June, the RDN board approved Sunday-schedule busing for Good Friday and Christmas and New Year’s days beginning Jan. 1, 2020, but according to a staff report, riders may have an expectation that busing this Christmas will be provided as well, since bus service will be provided this coming New Year’s Day.
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As a result, in October, the board approved the provision of transit service for Christmas 2019 at Sunday-level service, which uses 170 transit hours and will be allocated from reserve hours. Not all routes will be available that day however, Daniel Pearce, RDN general manager of transportation and emergency services, said in an e-mail.
“There are certain routes that do not run on Sundays, including 88 (Parksville), 97 (Eaglecrest), 98 (Qualicum Beach) and 99 (Deep Bay),” said Pearce. “HandyDart is included in Sunday-level service.”
Pearce said RDN Transit has heard from riders that they wanted year-round service in order to get to work and travel for family commitments.
The hours were gained after a transit exchange at Prideaux Street was moved to the Port Drive and Front Street area, according to the report.
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