Public to be Consulted About Passenger Bus Service: Ashton
Infrastructure and Transportation Minister Steve Ashton today announced the Province of Manitoba will invest $3.12 million for a one-year service maintenance agreement with Greyhound to ensure passenger bus service remains active in Manitoba until a long-term solution is found.
The Honourable Steve Ashton
“We are pleased that we have been able to enter into this agreement that will ensure there isn’t a shutdown of Greyhound inter-city bus service in Manitoba as we move forward,” said Ashton. “Like Manitobans in rural and northern communities, the Government of Manitoba depends on bus service for a number of reasons, particularly for northern patient transportation, and we are committed to making sure access to this important, affordable means of transportation and essential government services continue without disruption.”
Part of the long-term solution will include consultations to help communities develop options for the current inter-city bus network. Starting this spring, meetings will be held with key stakeholders in at least five rural and northern communities.
“We understand there are challenges related to the sustainability of the current bus system. We encourage Manitobans to become a part of the solution, we want to hear from them,” said Ashton. “We also know this is a national issue facing many jurisdictions across the country and we all need to work together.”
Last fall, following a meeting of the Council of Transportation Ministers, a federal-provincial working group was formed to examine the future of the bus industry in Canada.
