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VIDEO: Vernon residents upset over end of Greyhound services

Greyhound Canada announced that it will be ending its passenger bus and freight services in B.C.

Vernon residents are concerned about fulfilling transportation needs after Greyhound Canada announced it will be ending its service in the province.

Greyhound Canada announced July 9 that it will be ending its passenger bus and freight services in British Columbia. The only route that will remain open is the United States-operated route between Seattle and Vancouver.

“I just think it’s going to impact all these small cities and a lot of people aren’t going to be able to get around. It’s kind of a terrible thing,” said Jonathan Braun, who frequented the service in previous years. “I couldn’t imagine having to go to a larger city (for transportation.)”

Related: Greyhound to end bus services in B.C., Alberta

The changes, which are slated for the end of October, will leave many communities without an alternative, Greyhound Canada senior vice-president Stuart Kendrick said.

“It is with a heavy heart that we announce these service impacts for the end of October. We understand that these route changes are difficult for our customers. Despite best efforts over several years, ridership has dropped nearly 41 per cent across the country since 2010 within a changing and increasingly challenging transportation environment. Simply put, we can no longer operate unsustainable routes,” Kendrick said.

“We are committed to keeping customers informed and will continue to provide fair and open communications to ensure that adequate notice is given.”

Jayden Amies-Loose hopes a private company will step up to fill or mitigate that void.

“I hope there will be something to help those people get to where they want to go,” Amies-Loose said. “I think it’s good to have a bus to take everyone that wants to go.”

Greyhound Canada services in Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan will suffer a similar fate.

Jordan Teslyk used Greyhound frequently when her licence was suspended to visit family in Alberta and said the news came as a shock.

“It’s kind of disappointing,” Teslyk said. “I had my licence taken away for a while so the only way to get to Kamloops or Alberta to visit family was to take Greyhound buses.”

Cancellations are slated to take effect Oct. 31.


@VernonNews
parker.crook@vernonmorningstar.com

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