By Andru McCracken
If you thought getting from A to B without a personal vehicle was tough before, it’s about to get a lot harder.
Greyhound bus announced last week it plans to cut all services to western provinces.
The community of McBride had already lost its daily bus service when it was cancelled June 1. In response to Greyhound’s departure, the province announced a pilot program called BC Bus North, which connects some northern communities a few times a week. But now the stakes have been raised as Greyhound Canada announces all runs throughout British Columbia and the western provinces will be cancelled as of October 31.
“In British Columbia, all routes will cease,” reads a note on their corporate website.
Greyhound said the decision is regrettable. “[It] is due to a challenging transportation environment that is characterized by declining ridership in rural communities; increased competition from subsidized national and inter-regional passenger transportation services; the new entry of ultra-low-cost carriers; regulatory constraints, and increased car travel,” said Stuart Kendrick, the Senior Vice President of Greyhound Canada.
“It is with a heavy heart that we announce these service impacts for the end of October.”
