Greyhound Cancels All But One Long-Range Bus Route in Western Canada

Hundreds of thousands in BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba are left without long-distance public transit.

Key Actors:

• Greyhound Canada – Largest provider of long-distance bus services in Canada
• Provincial Governments of Alberta, BC, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan – Those affected by Greyhound’s decision.

On July 9th, bus giant Greyhound Canada announced that all routes and long-distance bus services in Western Canada (BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba) will be discontinued on October 31st, 2018, with the exception of the US-based Seattle-Vancouver route.

The Reasons

In an interview with The Canadian Press, Stuart Kendrick, the Senior Vice President of Greyhound Canada, cites an “ongoing spiral” of a severe decrease in ridership and a steady increase in costs as the main reasons for the cancellation of routes. Increasing competition from airlines and higher car ownership are the driving factors behind a massive 41% decline in ridership nationwide since 2010, and the company has been operating at a deficit in Western Canada since 2004. Simply put, rural routes are no longer feasible.

The Impact

According to Mr. Kendrick, the, this decision is estimated to affect around 2 million individuals across all four provinces. The hardest hit are towns, rural areas, and First Nations communities, where people are far from alternate methods of transportation and rely on Greyhound for long-range transport. Remote First Nations are especially impacted, as many use buses to access off-reserve services such as medical care.

The Alternatives

Greyhound has acknowledged the harm it will cause to dozens of communities in this decision, but it is unlikely that the plan will change. In the meantime, Greyhound is urging federal and provincial governments to develop a system for rural communities to bid on transportation services, where a local government offers potentially subsidized contracts to private companies who want to operate in the area. However, it may take years for alternate services to completely fill the void caused by Greyhound’s decision.

Greyhound was already eliminating remote areas prior to the announcement, causing both Alberta and BC to begin developing small-scale government-run bus services as replacements. However, such services are tiny compared to the scope of Greyhound’s operations. With Western Canada’s largest long-range bus company gone, all four provinces will face a large problem unless a solution is found soon.

Statistics

• 2 million people affected

• Over 400 layoffs

• Greyhound has seen a 41% decline in nationwide ridership since 2010

Bibliography

Dickson, Janice. “Greyhound Canada to End Routes in Prairies, B.C.” Global News, Global News, 12 July 2018, globalnews.ca/news/4320944/greyhound-bus-service-western-canada-ending/.

“First Nations to Feel Brunt of Greyhound Cuts in Western Canada: AMC.” CTV News Winnipeg, CTV News, 9 July 2018, winnipeg.ctvnews.ca/first-nations-to-feel-brunt-of-greyhound-cuts-in-western-canada-amc-1.4006207.

Moore, Oliver. “Greyhound Cancels Most of Its Routes in Western Canada.” The Globe and Mail, The Globe and Mail, 10 July 2018, www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-greyhound-cancels-most-routes-in-western-canada/.

The Canadian Press. “Greyhound Canada Cancelling All BC Routes but One, No More Prairie Services.” NEWS 1130, 9 July 2018, www.news1130.com/2018/07/09/greyhound-canada-end-routes-prairies-b-c-leaving-small-towns-lurch/.