Valley-wide bus service to be considered

By Jennifer Smith - Kelowna Capital News - April 11, 2008

A move to see the bus system run from Penticton to Vernon could be heading our way, provided local transportation planners can prove its economical, B.C. Transit says. Speaking in Kelowna Thursday morning, the Crown corporation’s new chief executive officer and president Manuel Achadinha confirmed he’s open to all proposals that will get B.C. residents out of their cars, including the cross-valley bus route. “It’s something I think this community really wants and I think we have to work with the community to put a business case together to show that it has value,” said Achadinha, who took his post one month ago to the day before taking the stage in Kelowna.In town to attend the 2008 B.C. Transit conference, Achadinha said he would be open to seeing where local planners want to go with the system, with an eye to building a business case to take to Transit’s board of directors.“One of the things we’re doing is we’re looking to define all of the proper transit corridors. That’s happening in every single one of the communities,” he said. “The reality is, putting more lanes down the highway is not where the future is.”

Where the new face of public transit does sees the future of the bus, is in the enthusiasm of universities and colleges. Noting several times in his opening speech how impressed he is with students who have actively campaigned for initiatives like the campus-wide bus pass (U-Pass) and promote healthy forms of transportation with their We Ride buttons, he told planners the province is looking to build more innovative user group partnerships. Like the U-Pass arrangement, some Whistler hotels have teamed up with B.C. Transit to provide tourists with a way to get around the village and the health authorities are also starting to take note. “I think you’re going to see that’s the future. Take, for example, the developer whose just built a facility, a new office complex. What are the opportunities we can work with that developer and say hey, how do we get your folks to home? How do we get them to work, without using a vehicle?” he asked. As for the vehicles themselves, Achadinha noted gas prices are a huge problem for all transportation providers—and he should know. Coming to B.C. Transit from B.C. Ferries, Achadinha says no one predicted oil and gas prices would be where they are today, though it’s a double edged sword for the bus system. On one hand, with oil prices now well over $100 per barrel, many drivers have set aside the old stigma of “the loser cruiser” in favour of the affordable, environmentally friendly buses. On the other hand, providing that alternative at an affordable price is going to be tough. “It’s the number one issue that every transportation company is looking at,” he said. “Who could predict, five years ago that we would be looking at $110, $112 a barrel? It’s pretty difficult to budget for that and I think that’s part of why we’re looking at alternative technologies.”