More than grumpy!

Actually, I'm more than grumpy about Greyhound. Over the last 9 years, I've used greyhound (at least four times  a year, often more). I often travel from my home and career in Seattle, to visit my significant other who now lives in Kelowna (formerly from farther North, near the Peace Valley).  Not only do I regret that the lack of transportation will make visiting (and spending money) harder and far more expensive, more than likely cancelling my Holiday plans this year (Christmas, I visit, and together we take Greyhound to Chase to spend holidays with elderly relatives). But I also think of all the friends I've made on the way - from people traveling on Greyhound for similar reasons, to college students returning to their small towns along the routes to visit, as well as many traveling to Whistler, and the many I've met (elderly and sick) who were traveling for advanced Medical Treatment in Vancouver. In all my trips, I have never been on an empty Bus (at most one or two empty seats), and according to the email I got from Greyhound.ca, they had two million Travelers annually in Western BC. 

If they were not able to make a profit off of two million travelers, adjusting the ticket prices would be more than permissible (and would still be cheaper than air travel). Already, the few flights that I might use are booked beyond capacity for the holidays. Personally, I don't drive, at 50 years of age, I choose to live as green as possible and for the last 10 years have shunned the expense of car ownership, and felt that using mass transportation was more environmentally and societally responsible.  

This move by Greyhound may just be to force the Governmental subsidization that they have repeatedly sought, through the Provincial and Federal Transportation Boards, but implying that they cannot make a profit off of two million travelers (and the millions of parcels they transport each year) falls flat.

I am nearing my retirement and the lack of environmentally sustainable transportation, will make me think long and hard about choosing Kelowna to spend my golden years. But even beyond that, I fear for the adverse economic effect on all of BC that the lack of affordable transportation and parcel transport will have on the small communities within BC, and the millions who will now find themselves stranded without options. This will certainly force more urbanization and change the character of BC, eventually destroying its beauty and affordability for millions more, and strangling a multitude of small towns throughout the Western Provinces.

Trevor Alleger