It’s the end of an era. Greyhound Canada has announced that it will discontinue passenger bus and freight services in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba by the end of October. The move comes due to a 41 per cent decline in ridership since 2010.
One route in B.C. will remain open, and its a U.S. service between Vancouver and Seattle. Ontario and Quebec services will continue as normal. The announcement will put 415 people out of work and impact around 2-million customers.
Another big reason for the discontinued service is the growth of new low-cost airlines. Budget airlines such as Flair and Swoop make it possible to fly to various destinations at just slightly higher prices.
Back in 2009, Greyhound threatened to stop service in Manitoba. It turns out, it was simply a scare-tactic to get Transportation Ministers listening to their demands. This time around, it seems like the real deal.
