It looks like the only bus service available to some communities in the north is getting some extra run time.
Northern BC has been scrambling for bus services since Greyhound pulled out last year and just days after the announcement, the province launched BC Bus North, an interim solution to the transportation problem.
The expiration date for the service was supposed to be May 30th of this year, but the province has just announced they will be extending the service to September.
The transportation service connects numerous northern and rural communities, and at this moment, is the only bus service that does.
“Intercity bus services are important for the people of British Columbia and for Canadians across the country, particularly for those in Indigenous, rural and remote communities where other transportation options do not exist,” said Canada’s Minister of Transport Marc Garneau. “We are working to find solutions and are encouraged by B.C.’s interest to collaborate on this issue.”
“I expressed our government’s firm belief that people in our province need to have access to safe, affordable and reliable long-distance ground transportation – to be able to visit friends and family, to get to work or their classes,” said Claire Trevena, B.C.’s Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure. “The current interim service in the North established by our government last year, BC Bus North, has been well received and is relied on by many individuals and organizations.”
Further details are expected in the coming weeks.