465 replies to this topic

[VicHockeyFan]

There is no Wilson's service.  99.9% of people that can afford one, buy a car.  Nobody is really green, they just pretend to be.

 

You know, I ran into a couple from Chicago yesterday at the bar.  We eventually talked about how they were getting back to Vancouver.  I had a very tough time convincing them to take the Connector, rather than a cab on both sides.  I grabbed a brochure from the front desk of the hotel for them, but I'm still not sure I convinced them to take it.  Taking a nice new highway coach seemed to be a bit below them, even though they knew the price of the taxi, as that's how they had got here.  I explained how they could load their baggage into the bus, and how the bus would drive right on first etc...  But they were still hesitant.

Edited by VicHockeyFan, 31 August 2017 - 07:01 AM.

[Mike K.]

Ah, right, I'm thinking of the BC Ferries Connector that they run. Tofino Bus/Island Link are Greyhound's local competitor, and I guess they won out.

[manuel]

Island express and tofino bus are far more regular than greyhound for nanaimo.

[johnk]

There is no Wilson's service.  99.9% of people that can afford one, buy a car.  Nobody is really green, they just pretend to be.
 
You know, I ran into a couple from Chicago yesterday at the bar.  We eventually talked about how they were getting back to Vancouver.  I had a very tough time convincing them to take the Connector, rather than a cab on both sides.  I grabbed a brochure from the front desk of the hotel for them, but I'm still not sure I
convinced them to take it.  Taking a nice new highway coach
seemed to be a bit below them, even though they knew the price of
the taxi, as that's how they had got here.  I explained how they
could load their baggage into the bus, and how the bus would drive right on first etc...  But they were still hesitant.

Maybe because bus travel in the US is so awful. Poor folks, deranged people, "coloureds", strung-out dopers and boozers, depressing dirty terminals etc. Its perceived as being bottom-of-the-barrel travel.
Maybe a bit better here but you might still get your head cut off while having a nap.

[vortoozo]

There is no Wilson's service.  99.9% of people that can afford one, buy a car.  Nobody is really green, they just pretend to be.

 

You know, I ran into a couple from Chicago yesterday at the bar.  We eventually talked about how they were getting back to Vancouver.  I had a very tough time convincing them to take the Connector, rather than a cab on both sides.  I grabbed a brochure from the front desk of the hotel for them, but I'm still not sure I convinced them to take it.  Taking a nice new highway coach seemed to be a bit below them, even though they knew the price of the taxi, as that's how they had got here.  I explained how they could load their baggage into the bus, and how the bus would drive right on first etc...  But they were still hesitant.

 

This is the type of passenger that V2V works well for.

Not sure why they didn't consider Harbour Air or Helijet.

[nerka]

Island express and tofino bus are far more regular than greyhound for nanaimo.

I have ridden on both recently. They seem to be doing OK for passenger numbers and the service is very decent. Didn't feel "bottom of the barrel" to me.

[nerka]

99.9% of people that can afford one, buy a car.  Nobody is really green, they just pretend to be.

Owning a car hardly rules out taking the bus from time to time. People on the bus aren't there to be green. They are doing it because it is the best way for them to get to their destination.

 

I take the bus up Island to CR from time to time. The availability of the bus saves me hundreds on car rentals or thousands on our family owning a second car.

[Mike K.]

The connector $52.50 (+GST) one-way per passenger (without a ferry fare) to a downtown Vancouver location (i.e. a hotel). For two+ passengers it makes far more sense to hop into a cab that takes you from anywhere you are in Victoria to anywhere you want to go in downtown Vancouver for a marginally higher cost.

Edited

[VicHockeyFan]

The connector is $52.50 (+GST) one-way per passenger (without a ferry fare) to a downtown Vancouver location (i.e. a hotel). For two+ passengers it makes far more sense to hop into a cab that takes you from anywhere you are in Victoria to anywhere you want to go in downtown Vancouver for a marginally higher cost.

 

This was not a young couple, and I just assumed they had a fair amount of luggage.  I'm almost looking at it from the point of view of the hassle of loading and unloading that 4 times to a cab, and walking the long way in Vancouver to the ferry, and having to have their luggage onboard.  I know you can check your baggage at the terminal, I'm unsure how many people do that.

 

What's a taxi cost?  I'd say it's about $70 on this side and $100 over there, from downtown to downtown.

 

[Admin note: edited Connector fare in quote to reflect updated rate)

Edited by Mike K., 31 August 2017 - 12:15 PM.

[nerka]

On the Vancouver side $5.60 will take you from the ferry to a wide variety of places in the Metro albeit with connections. $2.85 on weekends.

 

Not as fast as driving, but still pretty fast especially if you are going downtown.

[VicHockeyFan]

The Connector appears to be $47.50 to $55 plus 5% GST.

 

http://bcfconnector.com/fares/

[lanforod]

This was not a young couple, and I just assumed they had a fair amount of luggage.  I'm almost looking at it from the point of view of the hassle of loading and unloading that 4 times to a cab, and walking the long way in Vancouver to the ferry, and having to have their luggage onboard.  I know you can check your baggage at the terminal, I'm unsure how many people do that.

 

What's a taxi cost?  I'd say it's about $70 on this side and $100 over there, from downtown to downtown.

 

Took a cab from downtown Vancouver to the ferry a year ago. As I recall, the bill was $82 or so.

[Mike K.]

The Connector appears to be $47.50 to $55 plus 5% GST.

 

http://bcfconnector.com/fares/

 

There's an additional charge if you're getting off at a downtown Vancouver hotel. But they do have BC and senior fares which are lower than what a tourist pays.

 

Just wait till Uber shows up. Transportation fares to places like airports and ferry terminals will be drastically reduced.

[VicHockeyFan]

 

 

There's an additional charge if you're getting off at a downtown Vancouver hotel.

 

 

 

You know, all it took for you to not make an incorrect statement was to click the link I duly provided.

 

[VicHockeyFan]

Greyhound Canada has applied to regulators in British Columbia to drop five routes, four of them in northern B.C., as the company deals with plunging ridership.

 

Greyhound calls the decision “regrettably unavoidable” in a news release but says there has been a 51 per cent drop in riders since 2010, along with higher costs and increased competition from publicly subsidized services.

 

Routes that would be eliminated include a 718 kilometre run along Highway 16, the so-called Highway of Tears, between Prince George and Prince Rupert.

 

After dozens of murders and disappearances of women along that highway, the province, local governments and BC Transit launched a subsidized route in June connecting Burns Lake, Prince George and Smithers, mirroring portions of the Greyhound route.

 

The company has also applied to drop its routes from Prince George to Valemount, Prince George to Dawson Creek, Dawson Creek to Whitehorse and Victoria to Nanaimo.

 

http://www.theprovin...3272/story.html

Edited by VicHockeyFan, 31 August 2017 - 12:05 PM.

[Mike K.]

Oh yeah, I getcha. I didn't realize the $5 hotel drop-off fee was included in the $52.50.

[VicHockeyFan]

Just wait till Uber shows up. Transportation fares to places like airports and ferry terminals will be drastically reduced.

 

Yup.  I see YVR already has set rates for customers leaving the airport by cab.

 

http://vancouversun....-yvr-taxi-rates

[VicHockeyFan]

Vancouver Island bus company plans Nanaimo-Victoria service

 

Wilson’s Transportation intends to take over route from Greyhound Canada

 

A Vancouver Island-based bus company has its sights set on the Nanaimo-Victoria route.

 

Wilson’s Transportation Ltd. has filed an application with the province’s Passenger Transportation Board to begin operating daily round-trip bus service between Victoria and Nanaimo in 2018.

 

The filing comes after Greyhound Canada announced earlier this year that it planned to discontinue service along five of its routes, including its Nanaimo-Victoria route.

 

The Passenger Transportation Board, an independent tribunal established in 2004 under the province’s Passenger Transportation Act, will need to approve both Greyhound and Wilson’s applications.

 

John Wilson, chief executive officer of Wilson’s, told the News Bulletin the application will be heading to the PTB for final approval soon, but doesn’t know when a decision will be made. He said while there are challenges with the Nanaimo-Victoria route, he believes Wilson’s can make it work.

 

“There are some challenges around scheduled bus transportation services across North America, with numbers dwindling, but we are a local company and we hope to be able to use our network of connections in the marketplace,” Wilson said.

 

 

 

https://www.vicnews....ctoria-service/

[Nparker]

Just got home from a Tofino Bus trip to Parksville and back and it was certainly as good or better than anything Greyhound ever offered. I believe TB is using some old Greyhound equipment based on the seat covers in the bus I on which I returned home.

[VicHockeyFan]

Bus company’s proposed Victoria-Nanaimo service denied by transportation board

 

Passenger Transportation Board cites low demand as factor in decision

 

A regulatory tribunal has put the brakes on a Vancouver Island-based bus company’s plans to offer service between Nanaimo and Victoria.

 

The Passenger Transportation Board independent tribunal has rejected Wilson’s Transportation Ltd.’s application to begin operating daily round-trip bus service between Vancouver Island’s two largest cities.

 

Wilson’s application came after Greyhound Canada announced earlier last summer that it planned to discontinue its Nanaimo-Victoria route. Currently Island Link Bus, Tofino Bus and B.C. Transit provide service along the Nanaimo-Victoria corridor.

 

More: https://www.saanichn...ortation-board/