Bus carriers worry region unable to support new competition

Regional bus carriers worry the possible arrival of a new transportation service will deliver a blow to their already low ridership.

British Columbia-based Pacific Western Transportation Ltd. is in talks with the province to offer subsidized transportation services for non-emergency medical passengers requiring specialized care outside of their home communities.

The service would be funded through the Northern Ontario Travel Grant program.
PWT has been operating in B.C. since 2006 and wants to bring the service to northern Ontario.

General manager Dean Wright said with so many population bases along Highways 17 and 11, they believe it makes sense to operate in Ontario.

“We are aware there is a great requirement for people within this region that need to move south into Sault Ste. Marie, Sudbury Toronto or Hamilton,” he said. “It was a good fit.”

However, Caribou Coach Transportation general manager Sandy Smith says his company and other bus services already in the region carry passengers for non-emergency medical purposes and if PWT is allowed to operate in Ontario, they would lose a third of their ridership.

“By removing nearly a third of our ridership, it’s going to be a big struggle in order to keep services running across the region,” he said, adding they already have an ongoing battle with a low number of passengers.

“People choose to drive as opposed to using bus service, yet it’s an essential service and we continue to do the best we can to make sure the entire region is serviced on a regular basis as much as ridership allows for,” Smith said.

He added that he doesn’t understand why the province is considering supporting Pacific Western’s proposal when he has been told directly by Minister of Transportation Kathleen Wynne that Ontario will not consider subsidies or funding for intercity bus travel for the general public.

“Yet the Ontario government is supporting and backing Pacific Western in their bid to offer non-emergency medical bus service, which from our standpoint is no different from the service we operate already,” he said. “So the government is providing for one and not the other.”

In addition to Caribou Coach, Smith said Greyhound Canada, Ontario Northland, Excel Coach Lines and North Country Travel all operate in Northwestern Ontario and would be affected by PWT if they were to offer services in the province.

“There is a large number of people who work hard in this region to make sure the residents are connected and continue to receive those vital connection,” he said.

“We order parts. We do business here. We use local shops. It’s not like we’re doing something different.”