As of November 1, 2018, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a Greyhound bus west of Ontario.
On Monday, Greyhound announced it has “taken the difficult decision” to discontinue all service west of Ontario due to declining ridership.
In Saskatchewan, that means the Winnipeg to Saskatoon and the Saskatoon to Edmonton routes will both be cancelled.
“This decision is regrettable and is due to a challenging transportation environment that is characterized by declining ridership in rural communities; increased competition from subsidized national and inter-regional passenger transportation services; the new entry of ultra-low-cost carriers; regulatory constraints, and increased car travel,” the company said in an announcement posted on its website.
“Greyhound Canada had taken a range of cost reduction steps over the last few years, including frequency adjustments to route schedules and other efficiency measures. Unfortunately, these actions were insufficient and the downward trajectory continued.”
According to the website, ridership has dropped almost 41 per cent across Canada sing 2010.
“Simply put, we can no longer operate unsustainable routes,” said Stuart Kenrick, senior vice president of Greyhound Canada in a written statement.
“We are committed to keeping customers informed and will continue to provide fair and open communications to ensure that adequate notice is given.”
While the company is discontinuing passenger and freight service in B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, the Vancouver to Seattle route will continue. No changes are forthcoming in Quebec, and in Ontario, service west of Sudbury will also be discontinued.
Greyhound indicated on its website that it worked with Warren’s Parcel Express in Prince Albert to operate the Greyhound Package Express service, but a spokesperson with Warren’s indicated the companies hadn’t worked together for some time, and the decision will have no impact on their business.
A spokesperson for Caribou Transport directed the Herald to Kindersley Transport.
A voicemail was left with Kindersley. No response was received as of press time.
In terms of bus services, Rider Express continues to operate a passenger van service Saskatchewan, with routes travelling between Regina, Saskatoon, Prince Albert and Swift Current.
According to La Ronge Now and MBC, L.A. Family taxi in La Ronge is operating a shuttle between Prince Albert and La Ronge. For medical appointments, AV Shuttle is now available in Prince Albert, and the Prince Albert Grand Council was also working on a shuttle for its members.
