A transportation lifeline for northern B.C. that routes through Prince George is continuing for another year.
The provincial government announced today (March 29) its extending BC Bus North service until March 31, 2022.
First launched in 2018 to address the service-gap left by the departure of Greyhound from the region, BC Bus North has become 'a crucial lifeline' for inter-city travel especially as other transportation options have been limited due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Many people who don’t have their own vehicles relied on Greyhound bus service to get from community to community and people used this service to visit friends and family, for job opportunities, and critically important appointments in their lives, so it was important we did what we could to make sure that a reliable and affordable option was available,” said Rob Fleming, B.C.'s Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure.
“BC Bus North gives people in northern B.C. an affordable, reliable safe option to travel longer distances and has provided an essential service in the north making it possible for residents in small, isolated rural communities to remain connected.”
Western Economic Diversification Canada and the province have extended support to fund the northern inter-city service for another 12 months.
In total, more than $1.6 million in one-time funding will support the BC Bus North operating.
Diversified Transportation, the current operator of BC Bus North, will continue providing service until the contract expires. Services are contingent on the provision of federal funding, which began in September 2019, and are temporary.
Transportation Minister Rob Fleming and Jennifer Rice, MLA for North Coast announce BC Bus North extension. By Province of British Columbia“For many years both Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities have asked for improved public transportation options along highway 16,” said Jennifer Rice, MLA for North Coast.
“For decades women have gone missing along this highway, many of them Aboriginal. In British Columbia, we have had many unsolved murdered and missing women compared to other provinces in Canada.”
She noted the importance of BC Bus North to the safety of northern residents citing recommendations for improved transportation options along Highway 16 dating back to the 2006 Highway of Tears Symposium and Wally Oppal’s 2012 Report of the Missing Women Commission of Inquiry.
BC Bus North has a fleet of four highway coaches that provide scheduled service between Prince George and Prince Rupert, Valemount and Prince George, Prince George and Fort St. John, and Dawson Creek and Fort Nelson.
Fleming said pre-pandemic trajectory was very strong in terms of year-over-year-ridership growth, adding BC Bus North has provided 13,000 individual passenger trips since its launch.
“Today’s announcement is about the continuity of service in BC Bus North, but it also about heeding to the public health office advisories to not engage in n-on essential travel, but it is important to have that lifeline option,” said Fleming.
There have been some schedule adjustments based on current demand but service was not disrupted by the pandemic. Additional safety measures like plexiglass seat partitions were installed to ensure riders are able to keep a safe distance from each other.
“What we anticipate and what the funding announcement is all about is to build back better, to increase service and to sustain service into the future,” said Fleming, adding he expects northerners to travel again once it’s safe to do so.
Fleming also noted the province is working on a multi-year funding service model going forward for BC Bus North.
The service covers nearly 7,000 km every week, 28,000 km per month, and fares are distance-based, ranging from $11 from Valemount to McBride, to $65 between Prince George and Prince Rupert.
