VANCOUVER -- A bus service which offers transportation between several towns and cities in central and northern B.C. has received a one-year extension of funding.
BC North Bus, which offers two weekly round trip services between Prince George and Prince Rupert, as well as a handful of other small cities, receives funding from both the federal and provincial government.
Jennifer Rice, MLA for North Coast says the bus service is crucial.
"For people in northern B.C., the service that BC Bus North provides is vital to their weekly routines and well-being," she said in a statement.
"Indigenous communities and British Columbians living in these rural areas rely on this reliable, affordable transportation service, and we're thrilled that BC Bus North will continue to serve people from Prince George, to Prince Rupert, Fort Nelson, Valemount and all locations in between."
The service began in 2018, after Greyhound announced it would end several of its bus routes in Canada. Since 2019, it has been receiving government subsidies.
A news statement from the province, released Monday, says the service “has become a crucial lifeline in the region as other transportation options have been limited due to the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The service has a fleet of four buses, which provide scheduled service to 39 communities. Several of the routes operate along a large stretch of Highway 16 – an area often referred to as the highway of tears because of how many Indigenous women have gone missing or been murdered along the highway.
Over $1.6 million in one-time combined funding from the province and federal government will support the BC Bus North operating costs until March 31, 2022.
The company operating the bus, Diversified Transportation, “will continue providing service until the contract expires,” reads the announcement.
“Services are contingent on the provision of federal funding and are temporary,” it continues.
