The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
More than a year after cutting funding that kept much of northern Manitoba's highway bus service afloat, the province hopes incoming changes will get the private sector to step up to the table. The NDP government last week introduced legislation to lift restrictions on where charter bus operators can offer service. It also removes limits on the number and seating capacity of buses a company uses. 'This will modernize the charter bus industry in Manitoba by allowing operators to rapidly expand service wherever there is consumer demand,' Transportation Minister Steve Ashton said in a news release. 'It will also allow companies to be more efficient and competitive, and it will improve service in many parts of the province.' Under the proposals, charter bus regulations would focus on vehicle and operational safety, not on the business of charter busing itself. Ashton said this will lead to improved quality of service, more affordable fares and more available travel destinations. But it remains to be seen whether another company is willing to replace the passenger service northern Manitoba lost when the NDP ended a subsidy to Greyhound last year. As of July 1, 2012, all passenger service between Flin Flon, Snow Lake and Thompson ended. The daytime bus between Flin Flon and Winnipeg was also scrapped, leaving only the overnight bus. Other communities across the province were also impacted. The loss of bus routes has been panned by everyone from mayors to health officials who fear the impact on their communities, particularly those with limited transportation options. Ashton said a number of charter bus operators have indicated they want to expand their companies. 'We are responding with the legislative changes they need,' he said.
