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Province scrambles to keep buses going

Smaller coach lines may bid to take over Greyhound routes

By: Mary Agnes Welch

24/10/2009 1:00 AM | Comments: 6

A Greyhound logo at the newly opened Greyhound Terminal at the James Richardson International Airport in Winnipeg Thursday, September 3, 2009. Greyhound Canada, long the mass transit lifeline to rural areas, announced Thursday it needs $15 million in public money and an end to regulatory red tape on money-losing routes or it will shut down, starting this fall in Manitoba and northern Ontario. THE CANADIAN PRESS/

JOHN WOODS / CANADIAN PRESS ARCHIVES Enlarge Image

A Greyhound logo at the newly opened Greyhound Terminal at the James Richardson International Airport in Winnipeg Thursday, September 3, 2009. Greyhound Canada, long the mass transit lifeline to rural areas, announced Thursday it needs $15 million in public money and an end to regulatory red tape on money-losing routes or it will shut down, starting this fall in Manitoba and northern Ontario. THE CANADIAN PRESS/

With only a week until Greyhound abandons Manitoba, at least two companies are preparing bids to take over its bus routes and the province's transportation minister is looking for a stopgap to delay Greyhound's departure.

At least two smaller, regional coach lines -- Caribou in Northwestern Ontario and Boutin in southern Manitoba -- are looking at bidding for Greyhound's routes should the national carrier pick up stakes Nov. 2.

"We're proceeding with due diligence on this, trying to make sure we have all the information we need," said Sandy Smith, owner and general manager of Thunder Bay's Caribou Coach Transportation.

"The timeline is getting kind of tight."

Smith is waiting for some information from Greyhound on passenger counts and costs, information that will help him decide whether it's viable to expand into eastern Manitoba, the whole province or not at all.

The company would need an operating licence from both Ontario and Manitoba, which is willing to expedite the process, but the timeline is almost impossibly tight.

Boutin Bus Lines owner Gerry Boutin, who contracts with Greyhound to provide bus service to Pine Falls, Sprague and cottage country, is hoping to have a business plan ready to submit to the province in two weeks.

He needs at least another 16 buses, plus a ticketing computer system, which means the province may have to chip in $8 million to start.

Within three years, Boutin thinks he could wean the company off provincial subsidies.

He's looking at creating a downtown bus depot, perhaps at the Via Rail station, and he hopes his plan will include more frequent service to some towns. He's already begun to line up staff and source buses.

"Those buses are available at a moment's notice," said Boutin. "Whatever Greyhound is not willing to do, we are willing to look at it."

Earlier this week, Manitoba Transportation Minister Ron Lemieux met with his counterparts from the other provinces in Vancouver and asked all the deputy transportation ministers to report back as soon as possible on a national plan to save Greyhound.

But most Canadian premiers aren't keen on subsidizing Greyhound, mostly because other provinces have established carriers who can pick up Grehound's slack.

Manitoba doesn't, but the province can't subsidize a national bus service on its own, which leaves the provincial government in a pickle.

Manitoba could help cover the cost of money-losing in-province routes, but a deal like that could take more than a week to settle.

During a stop in Brandon Friday, Premier Greg Selinger said senior provincial officials could meet with Greyhound as early as Monday.

"Obviously, they've put a pretty tough deadline on that issue," he said. "We would like to find a short-term solution that would keep service going while we look for a long-term solution."

Greyhound has stopped selling tickets for trips after Nov. 1.

"I don't want any disruptions in Manitoba whatsoever," said Lemieux. "It may take an investment from us."

But Lemieux suggested Ottawa ought to get involved. Greyhound transports goods to First Nations and many patients to Winnipeg. Eliminating the bus service would likely cost Ottawa more in flights and freight costs.

Greyhound estimates that it is losing $15 million a year with about $4 million a year of that from Manitoba. The company is willing to shoulder some of that shortfall, but the province may have to pitch in, too.

maryagnes.welch@freepress.mb.ca

 

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition October 24, 2009 A8

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6 Commentscomment icon

tell you what I just went to that terminal yesterday and it is so haphazard that it should be shut down and its security has the manners of a billygoat...I suggest we boycott them permanently and they can just be gone and let another company take over...

News flash...Manitoba's NDP start the People's Provincial Bus Lines!!! Why not they have put enough money into it to buy it already!!!

Regardless of who takes over the service there will be a handout — the other companies in Manitoba which showed interest in this have already said they like to provide services but only if there is financial support.
Greyhound has terminals in place already — be what it may — so that at least any assistance would go to improving service — not startup capital.
I travel Hwy. 6 daily and would prefer to have Greyhound there than the smaller bus lines — at least their drivers behave themselves when in traffic. The smaller lines and private-owned buses are just plan wild drivers who will only cause accidents.
What do you want on Hwy 6 — one greyhound pulling one trailer or 5 maxi vans pulling 5 trailers? And Greyhound has how many buses a day north?
Another point to remember is that you can always find a cheaper transportation company — but you usually pay for it in the end.

This is all very simple - Greyhound ought to have been ousted from Canadian soil moons ago. What business do they have running their business in Canada when a Canadian company should be doing the runs. Greyhound further has no business handling freight or anything else, and to include medical matters within Canada - if I were the Premier, Prime Minister or Lemieux....this business with Greyhound would be settled in a few words, "Get the hell out of Canada and never show your lackluster faces around here again." It's all about money and in this case Greyhound is using unnecessary force, with their concept of 15 million additional bucks needed......oust them out of Canada totally and let Canadian carriers do all the business.

Greyhound has carried me once - yes, once! The buses are so incredibly uncomfortable - I can take a bus in Mexico in total comfort, yet, with Greyhound - it's the absolute worst case scenario....DUMP THEM, GET RID OF THIS NICKEL AND DIME COMPANY....THE SOONER THE BETTER.

And "no" I will never ever take a ride on this 10 cent company ever again, and neither will anybody else I know.

From what I've read, Ron Lemieux wants the Manitoban tax payer to send their tax dollars to Scotland via Greyhound?

I say NO Way!!!

If Greyhound discontinues service in Manitoba, it should not be permitted to continue with its freight service. This service should also be taken over by Mr. Boutin or any other company that wishes to take over from Greyhound. In doing so, there is a greater chance that Boutin or another company could run a viable service.

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