An announcement from the provincial government about a replacement for Greyhound Canada could be on the horizon, according to B.C. Premier John Horgan.
“We’re working with the private sector to try and find solutions in the Okanagan particularly, but indeed right across the province,” Horgan said after releasing details about affordable housing in Keremeos on Monday morning.
READ MORE: Premier releases details on Keremeos affordable housing project
“We are making progress on the Island, in the north and I’m hopeful that we might be able to announce something shortly.”
The government is encouraging the private sector to pick up all the potential business and trying to find other operators, he said, such as smaller vehicles rather than larger buses to move people around.
While the province doesn’t have the budget to provide BC Transit Services to every city, he said it wouldn’t rule it out if no other alternative was found.
READ MORE: Tearful farewell in Okanagan for Greyhound Canada
When Greyhound Canada halted its operation in Western Canada last October, Horgan said the government hadn’t anticipated the private sector would pull out completely.
In May, an Alberta company operating in the Okanagan-Shuswap said it wants to provide bus service to Salmon Arm, Chase, Enderby and Armstrong. Last November, Ebus, which took over the Greyhound route from Kelowna, Vancouver and Kamloops reported low passenger numbers on their buses, saying if levels stay low, it will be challenging to maintain business long-term.
READ MORE: New Kelowna-Vancouver bus route off to slow start
The Penticton Western News contacted B.C.’s Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure, Claire Trevena, about when a future announcement might happened, but have yet to get a response.