B次元官网网址 that Tofino Bus has put its West Coast route on hold has officials scrambling to find transportation for those heading in and out of the Tofino-Ucluelet region.
Citing decreasing ridership and increasing costs, WilsonB次元官网网址檚 Transportation has cancelled service to Tofino-Ucluelet until May.
B次元官网网址淲e had to suspend service because essentially after about September, the passenger count just dropped so drastically that we could not cover the operational expenses,B次元官网网址� the companyB次元官网网址檚 brand manager Samantha Wilson-Newton told Victoria B次元官网网址. B次元官网网址淲e canB次元官网网址檛 afford to operate the service at a loss over the winter months so weB次元官网网址檝e decided to pause the service until May of 2023 when we know, historically, that the passenger counts increase and we are able to operate again.B次元官网网址�
Tofino mayor Dan Law told the Westerly B次元官网网址 the announcement was B次元官网网址渄evastating,B次元官网网址� adding that many West Coast residents rely on the bus for essential travel.
B次元官网网址淭he reality is that without this kind of transportation, people are not going to be able to access essential medical services, government services, court services, you name it. Some people in our community, especially the most vulnerable, will be prevented from accessing needed services and that is ultimately a government issue,B次元官网网址� Law said.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 going to be devastating for many of our community members who rely on the bus to get in and out of townB次元官网网址 understand that itB次元官网网址檚 a business and businesses canB次元官网网址檛 be expected to run at a loss, but this is something that has to be addressed.B次元官网网址�
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He said he hopes the provincial government will step in with a solution while Tofino Bus is on hiatus.
B次元官网网址淣ot everybody has the ability to own their own vehicle and drive out of town, thatB次元官网网址檚 just the way it is. Something has to change. Some kind of public transportation has to materialize or people are going to be left in a very dire situation.B次元官网网址�
Courtenay-Alberni MP Gord Johns told the Westerly the federal government needs to be ready to support the province to establish service.
B次元官网网址淲e need the federal government to quickly work with the province to get this route up and running immediately. This service needs to be restored immediately and, in the long term, they need to provide either funding for the private sector to run a service in various different pockets of the country, or create a national bus service; one or the other. They canB次元官网网址檛 just let it happen that these routes get shut down,B次元官网网址� he said.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 going to erode rural and remote communities and itB次元官网网址檚 not fair. These are mobility rights, itB次元官网网址檚 about quality of life for rural people, rural people that are constantly shovelling buckets of money to Ottawa and not getting their fair share back.B次元官网网址�
Johns said he spoke with Mid Island - Pacific Rim MLA Josie Osborne as well as Wilson Transportation CEO John Wilson to discuss how the provincial and federal governments can work together on both a short-term and long-term strategy to keep routes open.
B次元官网网址淲ilsonB次元官网网址檚 has made it clear for a long time that they canB次元官网网址檛 afford to run these routes and lose more money. They bled a lot through COVID and they just simply arenB次元官网网址檛 going to recover in the short-term and they canB次元官网网址檛 afford to subsidize it,B次元官网网址� he said.
B次元官网网址淭he province canB次元官网网址檛 continue to shoulder all of this. They need a federal partner. The federal government, jurisdictionally, is downloading again and itB次元官网网址檚 unacceptable. They need to take leadership here.B次元官网网址�
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Osborne said the province is working with WilsonB次元官网网址檚 Transportation to find a workable solution, but agreed with Johns that a more permanent solution is needed as well.
B次元官网网址淚 know that this is having a big impact on people who live on the West Coast because IB次元官网网址檓 hearing directly from them,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淚 encourage your readers to reach out directly to my office. I want to hear their stories, I want to understand the changes that this means for them and then be able to advocate on peopleB次元官网网址檚 behalf.B次元官网网址�
Ucluelet mayor Marilyn McEwen noted the news came as a double-whammy as the West Coast was supposed to have a BC Transit service in place between Tofino and Ucluelet by now, but the provincial government pulled out of its funding commitment in September.
B次元官网网址淚 was really, really looking forward to that and it seems like itB次元官网网址檚 not a possibility any longer,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 probably an issue for a lot of rural and remote communities, but it just seems like the West Coast is getting hit really hard with this issue right nowB次元官网网址ransportation has been on the forefront lately.B次元官网网址�
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andrew.bailey@westerlynews.ca
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