By Max Winkelman – 100 Mile Free Press
Last week it became clear Greyhound is looking to scrap more routes just weeks after they scrapped a number of northern routes. If the new cuts/reductions are approved, it would mean fewer bus options between Vancouver and Prince George.
Now travel options in B.C. and especially our area have always been quite limited; there are no cabs in 100 Mile House and there’s pretty limited public travel outside of a few BCTransit routes.
This is going to be, if not already, a major problem for many local residents. Realistically, you can’t really get around without a car. As people get older, fewer will continue or be able to keep driving. Undoubtedly, this is one of the top concerns for our area and many other northern communities, especially going forward.
There are the obvious concerns related to social isolation, loneliness which are associated with increased rates of premature death, lower general well-being, more depression and a higher level of disability from chronic diseases, as quoted in Social Isolation Among Seniors: An Emerging Issue in 2004 (An investigation by the Children’s, Women’s and Seniors Health Branch, British Columbia Ministry of Health).
Yet in spite of this knowledge, there’s a good chance services will be cut back.
There’s been a lot of talk already about bringing in ride-hailing services like Lyft or Uber. This may help provide seniors with some additional mobility but it’s not likely to solve the problem by itself; taking a Lyft or Uber to Williams Lake, Kamloops or Vancouver, for things such as appointments and shopping isn’t exactly going to be cheap and, even if desirable, may not be something all seniors can afford.
100 Mile House and the larger South Cariboo area, aren’t the only community that will have to deal with this problem. This is going to affect many rural communities in B.C. Now the Greyhound wasn’t exactly a perfect solution as it was and I’m sure many would suggest Northern B.C. needs better transportation routes as it was.
Surely, if the BC NDP felt it necessary to remove the utterly obscene cost of $3.15 to cross a bridge, they can make sure there are a few bus routes running elsewhere in the province?
Following the transition of power, there was some concern that with very few rural MLAs, the rural areas of B.C. wouldn’t be heard in the B.C. Parliament Buildings. Lo-and-behold, here’s the perfect chance for the NDP-Green alliance to prove people wrong.
– Max Winkelman is editor of the 100 Mile Free Press