The Northern Capital much like the rest of the region is breathing a sigh of relief after BC Transit and the province announced a one-year BC Bus North service starting on Monday.
It replaces the lost routes left behind by Greyhound.
This provides easier access to some of the other communities in the north.
“What it does for us is it allows these other communities in the north to get from place to place and that was one of the things we were concerned about with Greyhound when left because we didn’t know what that would mean and what impact it would have on residents trying to get out of Prince George,” says Lyn Hall, Mayor of Prince George.
He adds this option was already on the table when he met with Transportation Minister Claire Travena earlier this year.
“We talked about whether or not the province would be able to provide an interim service and we also talked about if there was an opportunity for us as municipalities to do some work on trying to find a private sector transportation company that would look at short hauls.”
“For us in Prince George, when we talk about those short hauls from perhaps Prince George up to Mackenzie or down south to Quesnel or out west to Vanderhoof-Fort Saint James. I think over the next year we will see what happens with this particular service.”
When asked about the possibility if the service could stay intact past this year, Hall stated its too soon to tell.
“It may happen but we haven’t had those discussions yet, we’re working as a group of municipalities and also with the government to try and find a short-term, interim solution to be able to provide service once Greyhound had left. Obviously, we will have more conversations down the road to see what’s next after this.”
Some of the local routes include trips to Prince Rupert, Valemount, Dawson Creek and Fort St John.
The cost of a one-way ticket is between $35 and $45.
For a full list of the routes, click here.