Extra transit hours coming in 2018

Apr 6, 2017 | 3:06 PM

KAMLOOPS — Transit users will get some holiday gifts next year.

Kamloops council has accepted 1,000 more transit hours offered by BC Transit, earmarked for two statutory holidays: New Year’s Day and Easter Sunday.

The new service will cost the city $47,000, but because the service will only start in 2018, that cost won’t be on the books until next year.

Mayor Peter Milobar says the city should take new hours when BC Transit offers them.

“If these got offered to us next year I would be surprised if we didn’t take them. We have tried to figure out ways to potentially add those stat days. If this was just to add a bit more frequency on the odd route, I probably wouldn’t support it — but the thousand hours to actually add those two stat holidays that currently don’t have any service, I think would actually be a big notice to the transit users,” said Milobar. 

Arjun Singh was the only councillor to oppose the plan, saying it should have been discussed as part of the next budget cycle.