483 replies to this topic

[Victoria Watcher]

A Vancouver Island intercity bus service is scheduled to hit the road again on Easter weekend.

 

Tofino Bus, connecting Victoria, Nanaimo, Parksville, Port Alberni, Ucluelet and Tofino, will start regular service on March 29, according to the Wilson Group of Companies, which is operating the route.

 

The service will use two full-sized 56-seat motor coaches equipped with seatbelts, individual reclining seats, luggage space and washrooms.

 

John Wilson, CEO of the Wilson’s Group, said service will grow throughout the spring and summer, with Victoria-to-Tofino travel from Thursday to Sunday, and southbound routes Friday to Monday.

 

The northbound buses will also carry weekend editions of the Times Colonist.

 

“We believe this is a vital link to bridging Vancouver Island for residents and visitors,” said Wilson.

 

The company has no immediate plans to operate the service year-round or link to more communities, such as Campbell River and Port Hardy, as it recovers from losses incurred since the pandemic, he said.

 

While Tofino Bus provides the same essential service as public transit, it operates without any government subsidies that can offset high operating costs, and ridership is higher in the spring and summer months, said Wilson, adding “our team continues to work with all levels of governments to find increased supports toward vital year-round service.”

 

In 2019, Wilson’s provided 82,500 trips to 29 communities and 21 First Nations and organizations on Vancouver Island. But COVID 19 travel restrictions saw revenue on those routes drop dramatically, and financial losses for the company started to mount.

 

 

https://www.timescol...weekend-8339471

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 22 February 2024 - 07:05 AM.

[splashflash]

New Intercity Bus Advocacy Group

Islanders Deserves Convenient and Affordable Public Transportation

https://betterislandtransit.ca/

Better bus service would benefit tens of thousands of Island residents who cannot, should not or prefer not to drive on busy roadways, and is the most cost-effective way to reduce Island Highway traffic problems.

Victoria, BC, 26 Feb. 2024: Interregional (long-distance) public transit service is currently infrequent and expensive on Vancouver Island. For example, there are only four daily trips between Duncan and Victoria with $10 one-way fares, and only seven daily trips between Nanaimo and Duncan with $7.50 one-way fares, although that is one of British Columbia’s busiest travel corridors with tens of thousands of daily trips.

A new organization, Better Island Transit (BIT), advocates for more frequent and affordable bus service between central and southern Vancouver Island, with at least hourly service and $5 maximum fares between major cities, so a trip from Nanaimo to Victoria would cost no more than $10. It also advocates for better transit services on other provincial highways.

“Inadequate public transit is unfair and inefficient,” explains BIT President Todd Litman. “It deprives non-drivers of independent mobility, increases drivers’ stress and costs, and exacerbates traffic problems on Island roadways. Frequent and affordable interregional bus service is a quick and cost-effective solution to many transportation problems.”

The poor state of Vancouver Island’s public transport became the butt of jokes last year when contestants in BBC’s Race Across the World discovered how difficult it is to travel from Victoria to Port Hardy without a car (“BBC reality show contestants dumbfounded by British Columbia's poor public transit”). However, this lack of public transit is not a joke for tens of thousands of Island residents who cannot, should not, or prefer not to drive on busy highways.

[Nparker]

Government has such a stellar record in regard to Vancouver Island public transportation, let's give them a crack at "affordable" inter-city bus service. 

Edited by Nparker, 28 February 2024 - 08:17 PM.

[splashflash]

Nice logo though

Attached Images

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[Nparker]

Those passengers look like they are being held captive on that bus.

[splashflash]

These 1970s and 80s GMC buses were called New Look but better known as Fishbowls. The circular front window above the grill gril invited the moniker but surely the thought of captive passengers delivered that name as well.

Attached Images

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Edited by splashflash, 28 February 2024 - 09:46 PM.

[Victoria Watcher]

IslandLink bus company has expanded its service to northern Vancouver Island, taking its fleet past Campbell River for the first time.

 

“The company now has Vancouver Island covered,” owner Phillip Morgan said Friday.

 

Riders can catch the bus from Port Hardy at 8:30 a.m. and arrive in Victoria by mid-afternoon. The northern run from Victoria will arrive in Port Hardy by 5:30 p.m., Morgan said.

 

The company’s first northbound bus ran Thursday and its first southbound bus left Friday. It costs $100 to ride from one end of the island to the other.

 

Buses are now servicing Port Hardy, the Port Alice junction at Highway 19, Port McNeill, Woss and the Sayward junction at the highway.

Each 15-passenger bus is air-conditioned and stops are made at restrooms.

 

https://www.timescol...l-river-8766461

[Nparker]

I took IslandLink up to Qualicum to visit my sister at Xmas. It was a very pleasant experience.

[Matt R.]

Some of the comments on that post question the price, calling it outrageous. $100 to port hardy? Someone else driving? Sounds like a great deal.

[Victoria Watcher]

Ya. It’s a long way away.

[Nparker]

I paid $55 one-way to Qualicum in December. I thought the price was quite reasonable.

[Mike K.]

Some of the comments on that post question the price, calling it outrageous. $100 to port hardy? Someone else driving? Sounds like a great deal.

Hmmm… I guess people don’t get more money back with the carbon tax, than what they pay?

Nothing like an extra 21.39 cents of carbon tax per litre of diesel to brighten everyone’s day. Guess how much diesel that bus takes to get you to Port Hardy?

[Victoria Watcher]

Nothing like an extra 21.39 cents of carbon tax per litre of diesel to brighten everyone’s day. Guess how much diesel that bus takes to get you to Port Hardy?

 

It's about 500km.   310 miles.

 

At best the van gets 25 miles to the gallon.

 

$1.80 per litre or about $7.20 a gallon.

 

310/25=  12.4 gallons.  x 7.20 = $89.28

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 19 May 2024 - 06:49 AM.

[Mike K.]

It's about 500km. 310 miles.

At best the van gets 25 miles to the gallon.

How to tell, when someone has never driven a large diesel, or a minibus.

It’s closer to 8 or 9 mpg.

[Mike K.]

It’s actually 7-8mpg, I just checked. It might he even worse if it’s fully loaded.

[Mike K.]

$1.80 per litre or about $7.20 a gallon.

3.78 litres per gallon, or $6.80 per gallon, using metric.

[Victoria Watcher]

Well, I said "at best" 25, but looks like some passenger vans get 18 or 19 on the highway.

 

https://www.fuelecon..._Type2016.shtml

 

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 19 May 2024 - 07:15 AM.

[Mike K.]

We should probably be realistic, though. Your example is not reflective of what’s being used. Is that even a dually rear axle? I don’t think so.

The buses and shuttles being used in our case are not 3.7l eco boosts that a plumber might use. They’re large, heavy vans with big motors, dual wheeled to haul very heavy loads, or they’re e450 shuttles that are much bigger than those vans.

You’re going to get very poor mileage out of those things, with passengers and cargo.

Don’t transit buses get like 3-4mpg? If we really want to talk about fuel inefficiency, take a look at the average bus and what its fuel needs are per passenger, on average. You’re better off driving your own F350 if you want to save on fuel (for a trip up-Island with your friends).

But diesel buses in the city only get about 3 mpg (78.4 litres/100 km). Still with 50 passengers we were getting about 1.5 litres/100 km per person and that's even better than my little diesel car. However, buses often travel with six or seven passengers or fewer (zero when they're going back and forth from the garage). Lots of cars get 8 litres/100 km, so if the bus has five or fewer passengers, the fuel-efficient car delivers better fuel economy per head. If the car has two people in it, it is doing better than a bus with 10.

- https://www.theglobe...article4097805/

[Nparker]

The IslandLink Bus fleet.

 

[vortoozo]

The bus to Port Hardy is the last piece in what would make a pretty epic circle loop for tourists.

Vancouver-Victoria (BC Ferries)
Victoria-Port Hardy (IslandLink)
Port Hardy-Prince Rupert (BC Ferries)
Prince Rupert-Jasper (VIA Rail)
Jasper-Vancouver (VIA Rail or Rocky Mountaineer)

Or an option to do Jasper-Banff via Brewster and then the Rocky Mountaineer to Vancouver from there.

All in all, approximately one week to see some of Western Canada's best scenery and no driving required.