Federal government offers provinces 50/50 split on abandoned bus-route service
VANCOUVER — The federal government will split funding for bus service on rural routes abandoned by Greyhound in northern Ontario and Western Canada but Transport Minister Marc Garneau says only British Columbia has so far taken him up on the offer.
“This is something that for over 60 years has been a provincial responsibility,” he said of Ottawa’s decision not to subsidize Greyhound or previously get involved in funding inter-city bus travel.
Garneau made his comments Wednesday after meeting with B.C. Transportation Minister Claire Trevena. It was the fourth discussion between the ministers on a 50/50 cost-sharing plan to service routes that were dropped when Greyhound shut down operations last fall, citing a loss of $70 million over six years.
“We will wait to see if other provinces come to us,” Garneau said, adding the federal government is expecting B.C. to provide a list of unserviced routes as well as costs for the two-year arrangement.