Greyhound has cut its service to Clearwater from two trips a day going east and west to just one.
As of Mar. 1, the only bus to Jasper and Edmonton is at 1:30 a.m. and the only bus to Kamloops and Vancouver is at 4:45 a.m. Both use Jim’s Food Market as their depot.
The buses that formerly left during the afternoon have been discontinued.
The cutbacks are part of a package of service reductions recently approved by BC Passenger Transportation Board.
These reductions have taken place despite a concerted effort by the District of Clearwater and an online petition organized by Canadian Auto Works (CAW), which gathered approximately 800 names.
Bus passengers must now have their tickets and baggage tags before boarding, and can no longer buy a ticket after getting on the bus. Rates have also increased.
Critics of the cutback have noted that passengers who have been travelling by bus to Kamloops for medical appointments will now find leaving and arriving in the middle of the night makes the trip near to impossible. Those with medical appointments in Kelowna or elsewhere in the Okanagan will find the trip even more problematic.
However, there are currently two other options available. Yellowhead Community Services provides a social bus every Thursday from Vavenby to Kamloops and return the same day. The bus also travels from and to Blue River and Avola on the third Thursday of the month. From Clearwater and area, it costs $7.50 to ride each way. To pre-book, call 250-674-3935 or 250-674-2600.
There is also a bus on Tuesdays, but only for those with medical appointments in Kamloops; access information on this bus from Clearwater Medical Centre.
Kamloops Yellow Cab is presently investigating operating a daily bus between Clearwater and Kamloops.