NDP to push for federal solution for transportation concerns in wake of Greyhound closures

Greyhound is set to abandon all of Western Canada
with plans to end all runs as of the end of October

With the rest of Western Canada set to join the Northwest in the loss of their Greyhound service, the Federal NDP has taken the cause of reliable and affordable transportation in Western Canada to the federal government.

As part of a petition campaign launched yesterday by the NDP, Canadians are being asked to sign on to the NDP initiative calling on the Federal government to "ensure communities across Canada have access to basic transportation services and immediately act to develop a federal funding plan that will stop the cancellation of several crucial bus routes in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, Northwestern Ontario and rural British Columbia.

The Federal NDP has launched a petition drive to bring the Federal
Government to the table on the issue of transportation in Western Canada
(click to enlarge)

You can learn more about the NDP petition drive here.

Earlier this  week the Province of British Columbia reacted with disappointment to Greyhound's announcement that they will end their cross Canada service in Western Canada at the end of October, a decision which will leave a significant gap in the ability for British Columbians to travel across the province.

Transportation Minister Clair Trevena outlined the government's frustration with the lack of communication by Greyhound and noted that the province will be looking at all suggestions as to how best address the issue of ground transportation across BC.

“Greyhound’s decision to completely eliminate service in Western Canada by Oct. 31, 2018, is hugely problematic for people who depend on Greyhound in the Interior, Sea-to-Sky, and to get to and from Alberta. This move will leave people with limited options to get around, and this will likely impact the most vulnerable. 

 “It’s unfortunate that Greyhound did not communicate their plans sooner. At no point did Greyhound reach out to me, or my staff, to have a conversation on solutions to keep people connected — something I would have expected, given their long history in this province."

The province will be looking to other private sector transportation providers to take advantage of the opportunity to provide services, vowing to ease the process of approval for those that may show some interest in taking up service for the soon to be abandoned communities.

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh received some background on the impact on the now ended Greyhound service to the Northwest this week as he toured the region with MP Nathan Cullen, featuring a number of stops in communities along the Highway 16 corridor.

His tour took him from Smithers through the Hazeltons and into the Nass before a fundraising dinner on Tuesday evening at the Terrace Arena.

City Council members met with NDP leader Jagmeet Singh, MP Nathan Cullen
and NDP MLA Jennifer Rice on Wednesday at City Hall
(photo from Mayor Lee Brain's Facebook page)

Wednesday, Mr. Singh was in Prince Rupert and met with local officials to discuss a range of topics of concern to the city's municipal representatives ranging from fishing and port notes to concerns for small business and reconciliation, to name a few.

Mayor Brain shared some of the themes from the get together through his Facebook page.

You can find some of the past notes related to the travels of the NDP leader here.

Further items of  interest on the Federal political scene can be found from our House of Commons archive page here, while a wider overview on notes from Ottawa can be reviewed through our political blog D'Arcy McGee.


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