OFFICE OF THE MAYOR
1100 Patricia Blvd. I Prince George, BC, Canada V2L 3V9 p: 250.561. 7609 I f: 250.561.0183 I www.princegeorge.ca CITY OF PRINCE GEORGE Official Host City - 2015 Canada Winter Games
October 7, 2012 Via email
RE: Application 305-12 Greyhound Canada Service Reductions
Dear BC Passenger Transportation Board Members:
I recently learned that Greyhound Canada Transportation ULC filed an application to the BC Passenger Transportation Board to reduce service in British Columbia. This application proposes a large-scale reduction in passenger service for municipalities across the province, particularly along northern routes. I note Greyhound Canada also attempted to have this treated as “urgent public need”, so that your Board would simply review the application materials and make a decision on the application, without requiring publication or notice for anyone to be able to provide a submission on the application. The Passenger Transportation Board rejected that attempt and consequently, you are receiving this letter as a submission to reject the application.
Most glaring in the application for reduced service is the tremendous route reduction along the Highway 16 corridor. As you know, the "Highway of Tears" has claimed many women, whose disappearances remain unsolved. Recently a deceased US inmate was linked to one and possibly more murders and disappearances. That is good news for resolution of those crimes, but he has been removed as a suspect in a large number of unsolved murders, which means the risk and danger for women continues. An important suggestion from the Highway of Tears Symposium Recommendation Report was a shuttle bus transportation system along Highway 16. The proposed reduction in service by Greyhound goes against the very need these northern communities have.
Greyhound’s Explanatory paper final comments are centred around “Unregulated BC Government Competition”, specifically the Health Connections bus service with Interior Health and the suggestion that “no doctor’s referral of any kind is required to access these heavily subsidized and unregulated BC Transit services”. It also suggests that for Northern Health, “the service is unregulated and according to Northern Health Authority’s website is subsidized by the Health Authority to the extent of 80-90% of the cost of travel”, and that “no policing is undertaken to ensure that only passengers with a physician referral are able to travel on NH Connections bus services”.
It is quite apparent that Greyhound Canada has a financial reason for suggesting reduced service and that they believe other factors listed above are affecting their business.
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OFFICE OF THE MAYOR
1100 Patricia Blvd. I Prince George, BC, Canada V2L 3V9 p: 250.561. 7609 I f: 250.561.0183 I www.princegeorge.ca CITY OF PRINCE GEORGE Official Host City - 2015 Canada Winter Games
The best outcome would be for the Board to reject the application and urge the Provincial Ministers responsible, the Health Authorities and Greyhound, to all work to resolve this concern for all parties, so residents of the Highway 16 corridor and the North, especially women, can count on a safe highway transit system.
Sincerely,
Mayor Shari Green City of Prince George cc:
Premier Clark and all MLAs
Councils of Highway 16 and Northern Routes: Burns Lake Chetwynd Dawson Creek Fort Nelson Fort St. John Fraser Lake Hazelton Houston Hudson's Hope Kitimat McBride New Hazelton Port Edward Prince George Prince Rupert Smithers Taylor Telkwa Terrace Valemount Vanderhoof Mackenzie
Regional Districts of: Fraser Fort George Kitimat Stikine Peace River Skeena Queen Charlotte
Northern Health: Dr. Charles Jago, Chair Cathy Ulrich, CEO
Interior Health: Norman Embree, Chair Dr. Robert Halpenny, CEO
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