BC Bus North service extended for another year to fill Greyhound gap

Residents of remote communities across central and northernBritish Columbia can count on an inter-city bus service for at least one more year.

B.C.'s Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure said Tuesday the provincial and federal governments will share the cost of BCBus Norththrough March 2021.

A statement from the ministry saidthe province and the federal government will each provide about $1 million in funding to supportthe service over the next 14 months.

But some fares will climb as the service aligns fares with the distance travelled by passengers.

The updated fare schedule is expected to be published Friday on the service's website.

The northern service launched in 2018 after privately operated bus routes, predominantly by Greyhound,were discontinued.

The government saidBC Bus North has carried almost 9,000 riders on four routes spanning the width of the province: between Prince George and Prince Rupert, Valemount and Fort St. John; andbetween Dawson Creek and Fort Nelson.

Doug Donaldson, B.C.'s forestry minister and Stikine MLA, said the region needs a bus connection by nature.

"Northern B.C., it's unique large, geographic distances, small populations," he said."I think, as a northerner, this is the kind of service that needs to be supported by our provincial government and the people of northern B.C. deserve it."

Funding for the serviceis split roughly evenlybetween the province and the federal government. It cost approximately $2 million in its first year.

Melanie Joly, the federal minister of economic development and official languages, said dependable bus service is a lifeline in northernB.C.

"From seniors heading to medical appointments, to young people who work in neighbouring towns, we know just how important this service is for so many,'' Joly said in the statement.

Claire Trevena,B.C.'s minister of transportation and infrastructure, said the province had to provide transportation when Greyhound ended its scheduled northern service.

BCBus North will continue to be closely monitored to better understand inter-city travel in the area it covers. The province saida survey of riders will be conducted in the spring.