Mayor Gregor Robertson says late-night buses will be a key priority for Vancouver city council to help shift-workers and partiers get home safe.
The motion that goes before council Tuesday briefly states that it is within city budget to increase bus services but does not project any costs or include any details about how many night buses the city wants and how late they should run.
Robertson said the demand comes from the hospitality industry and shift workers who cannot afford the high taxi premiums to get home.
"Improving late-night transit, even if it's just for weekends, is something we can do in the near-term and at a modest cost," he said.
Ken Hardie, TransLink spokesman, said they are listening to customer demands and will consider the motion.
"TransLink has avoided longer hours because the track needs to be maintained at night," Hardie explained.
While Councillor Geoff Meggs said the city does not disagree, he hopes SkyTrain services will eventually be worked into the plan. For now, it only includes buses out of the city.
"It'd be great if we could add a few trains later. And we'd like to coordinate it so there are taxis available at the other end when you get back to your hometown," he said.
Late-night service is something downtown businesses have always been in favour of according to Meggs, as clubbers are often not ready to leave when public transit closes.
As far as a timeline goes, the city said late-night buses could be rolling out by spring and definitely come summer.
