Discussions are moving forward in an effort to fill a transportation void created when a Sunshine Coast private charter bus line shut down.
Malaspina Coach Lines ceased its runs to connect Sunshine Coast communities to Vancouver without any notice in early September, a move that left travellers stranded with few transportation options.
Now Powell River Regional District (PRRD) board directors are working to bring Sunshine Coast stakeholders together to create a plan to solve the transportation trip-up.
“We are taking it on as a greater than regional district issue,” said regional board chair Patrick Brabazon.
Since the interruption in charter bus services, the only two options for travel have been an ad-hoc community ride-share program or Pacific Coastal Airlines, an expense many residents cannot afford.
PRRD has been in touch with BC Transit, but its response has been less than enthusiastic, said Brabazon.
He added that he has also been in touch with a director from the Sunshine Coast Regional District.
“They are also affected by this lack of service,” said Brabazon.
BC Transit conducted its most recent service review of Powell River’s public bus system earlier in the year. The review considered a public transit link from Powell River to Vancouver, but concluded it would not be considered in the near future for several reasons.
The report cited long travel times to reach Vancouver, high dependence on changing BC Ferries schedules, no current BC Transit connection between Halfmoon Bay to Pender Harbour/Madeira Park and an existing service by Malaspina Coach Lines at the time, all of which made the idea of public transit service to Vancouver “not feasible within the foreseeable future.”
Brabazon said he hopes to change the transit authority’s mind on the matter, especially in light of the bus line interruption, and bring together concerns from the Sunshine Coast’s two regional districts, in addition to those of Tla’amin (Sliammon) and Sechelt first nations.
The regional district would like to create an interim service for travellers, said Brabazon, and the controlling authority is BC Transit.
Brabazon said he would like to see local governments establish the service while communities wait for another private operator to purchase the bus line and “get up to speed.”
“You don’t just walk in tomorrow and set up a public carrier system,” said Brabazon. “It takes time.”
