Petition to expand BC Transit service between Vernon and Kelowna brought to B.C. Parliament

A petition created by Vernon resident Fraser Young about extending a Vernon bus route has made it to the B.C. Parliament.

“This petition is asking to extend BC Transit bus route 97 to include UBCO route 90 which will help many commuters in the region,” said Vernon-Lumby MLA, Harwinder Sandhu in the legislature.

“I thought it was really wonderful for the MLA to at the very least, share it as public record in the legislature,” said petitioner Fraser Young.

The petition was started in November of 2024 and has 539 signatures. Combining Route 90 and Route 97 would help Vernon commuters get to downtown Kelowna and West Kelowna more efficiently.

“We believe that everyone should have equal access to public transportation, and no one should be left stranded due to systemic shortfalls. Additionally, facilitating easier travel between these areas could stimulate economic and social growth in both communities while lowering environmental footprint,” states the petition.

Young told Castanet the route's limited availability and what time it runs makes it more difficult for commuters to access Kelowna when they need to.

He also says 20 buses that could be used to run the route are being put in the scrap yard.

“Maybe it takes two years for brand spanking new buses to come off the assembly line. Can you keep these ones going for just that much longer? And the response I got was basically no,” said Young.

When it comes to implementing changes within the transit system, BC Transit spokesperson Jamie Weiss said those decisions are made by local governments.

“BC Transit collaborates with local governments to ensure that implementation of new services is safe, efficient, and reliable by using established industry best practices for asset management and scheduling. The city also sets bus fares and local property taxes to pay their contribution of transit costs,” said Weiss.

City of Vernon spokesperson Jessica Hewitt told Castanet they access and identify potential service improvements each year.

“Decisions regarding service levels and expansions are made collaboratively among local governments, BC Transit, and regional transit authorities. While these improvements will take time, work is underway,” said Hewitt.

As Young keeps pushing for change, he says he’s doing it for the people that need it most.

“I’m literally doing this to help the community,” said Young.

The petition can be found here.