B.C. man says there’s no excuse for uncoordinated private bus services

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – In the modern technological age, a Kaslo man says he can’t see why it’s so hard to coordinate rural bus services.

His comments come as bus companies struggle to profit from rural routes, about six months after Greyhound Canada left the province.

Andy Shadrack says he relies on flying a lot more than he used to.

“I just had to send my spouse using my points to fly to Vancouver because it was impossible for her to take the bus,” he tells NEWS 1130.

Shadrack previously petitioned the Passenger Transportation Board to ensure new services were in place before allowing Greyhound to leave.

Half a year after the company pulled out of Western Canada, some towns are still without any service while others struggle to adapt to a new network of providers.

“The bus out of Nelson to Kelowna arrives less than an hour before the bus that leaves from Kelowna to go to Vancouver. Halfway across the city. They haven’t even coordinated putting the depots in the same place.”

Shadrack believes its in the public’s interest for the Transportation Board to coordinate and better regulate the new routes.

He says the situation is laughable.

“We can’t set things up so they’re properly coordinated? Give me a break, this is a public service for goodness sake. That’s why it’s regulated, to make sure it operates in the interest of the public, not the operators.”

He notes in the U.K., the system is better thought out.

“In the U.K., there are all kinds of train services and bus services, but I can buy a ticket in one place and use five different services.”

Bus service is heavily relied on by many people in areas like the Slocan Valley and many other parts of the interior, Shadrack notes, adding many of the passengers are seeking medical treatment in cities like Kelowna.

“This isn’t just an issue for B.C., this is an issue for entire Western Canada. It was half a million people who were impacted — you’d think that government would be concerned when half a million people are impacted.”

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