Greyhound Canada’s recent application with the BC Passenger Transportation Board to drop its four routes in northern British Columbia is a huge letdown for the community, says Skeena-Bulkley Valley MP Nathan Cullen.
The routes Greyhound wants to discontinue include Prince George to Prince Rupert, Prince George to Valemount, Prince George to Dawson Creek and Dawson Creek to Whitehorse. If the application is approved by the Passenger Transportation Board, the entire northern half of British Columbia, including the Highway of Tears, would not be serviced by Greyhound.
“This is an especially disappointing announcement as the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls will be stopping along the Highway of Tears next month,” said Cullen, in a press release. “It should serve as a stark reminder that we need safe and reliable transportation options in northern B.C.”
In its application, Greyhound said ride-sharing companies and expanded public transit options are to blame for the decision. While the provincial government began providing public transit options earlier this year in order to make travel along the Highway of Tears more affordable, the buses are not meant to service long, inter-city distances, but rather smaller segments, said Cullen.
“Greyhound has been servicing Northwest BC for a long time and it’s the only way in and out of communities for many. This is a very big loss,” said Cullen.
Greyhound requires approval from the Transportation Board in order to end its routes in Northern. No changes are likely to come into effect until 2018.
