Many who attended an open house in Penticton on a proposed public transit expansion say they’re on board with the idea.

The public had its first chance on Wednesday to talk with the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen about a plan to provide additional bus service from Penticton to Kelowna.

The expansion would see two more round trips on weekdays between Kelowna and Penticton and it would serve the entire South Okanagan and Similkameen. Further details are yet to be ironed out.

"We don't have all the answers as far as the specifics of this service," Erick Thompson with the RDOS says. "But... it makes it possible for people to travel to-and-from Kelowna from the regional district, for whatever they need to do. School, work... medical appointments."

The new service would likely be added late spring or early summer next year.

Some residents who spoke to Castanet say the expansion should be implemented sooner due to the fact Greyhound is ending its service in the region this fall.

The regional district previously said the timeline has been sped up since Greyhound’s announcement, after it was originally planned for September of 2019. 

"At this point, things are moving as quickly as they can based on what has to go to into it," Thompson says. 

The regional district will know in early September whether the expansion will go ahead. After that, staff say more specifics would be available in early 2019.

RDOS staff also explained the alternate approval process, which outlines that 10 per cent of the regional district's population would need to vote against the plan by Aug. 31 for it to be killed.

Following open houses in Penticton and Osoyoos on Wednesday, another will take place at the Keremeos municipal hall on Thursday from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.