Whereas Greyhound announced that as of October 31, 2018 it will cease to operate bus service between BC communities and eliminate inter-city bus service throughout western Canada; And whereas this announcement will significantly impact passengers and businesses that rely on Greyhound for affordable transportation and shipping service across Canada: Therefore be it resolved that the provincial and federal government work in consultation with local governments, public regulators and operators to establish new, affordable and coordinated transportation services that will ensure the continued movement of passengers and freight across BC and Canada.
Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure The Province is committed to ensuring that the people of B.C. have access to safe, affordable and reliable transportation. The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure will continue to work with communities across the province to identify transportation services that work for the needs of the region, and we will continue with this approach for those that may be affected by changing services. After Greyhounds announcement to terminate service in Western Canada, a Federal, Provincial, Territorial working group was assembledco-chaired by Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructureto assess the impact of the intercity bus service disruption in Western Canada and to consider short and long-term strategies for surface mobility of those living in rural and remote areas. Also, the Passenger Transportation Board implemented a fast-tracked application process to replace service with as little disruption as possible. Applications received through this process represent approximately 83 percent of the routes abandoned by Greyhound. The Province subsequently issued a Request for Expression of Interest RFEOI to gauge interest from the private sector in filling the remaining gaps. The RFEOI closed on January 15th 2019responses are currently being reviewed. The Federal Government has offered to partner with interested provinces and territories to cost share 5050 on the provision of subsidies over a two-year period to encourage the entry and expansion of operators to cover specific gaps in service. The Province of BC is interested in exploring this offer and is working with the federal government on next steps.