Image Credit: Kent Simmonds / CFJC Today

By Dylana Kneeshaw

TRAVELLING IN THE INTERIOR

Amid non-essential highway limits, planning for holiday trips; some Interior travellers are taking the bus instead

Dec 9, 2021 | 5:10 PM

KAMLOOPS — Ongoing closures to non-essential travel on B.C highways have resulted in many Interior residents finding alternatives to driving themselves.

Flights are in high demand, rail service is also a consideration, and plenty of people are taking the bus. Inter-city bus service is classified as essential under the provincial government’s travel guidelines while highway repairs are underway. (Checking passenger reasons for travel is not the responsibility of transportation services, and passengers are still expected to be following the guidelines surrounding essential travel when booking.)

Leading up to winter holidays, bus companies like Ebus are getting more bookings, and residents who spoke with CFJC this afternoon say affordability is part of the draw.

Ebus BC Operations Manager Glen Desjardine says in any normal year, Ebus sees a lull in bookings after Remembrance Day, before a swell in ticket sales for holiday travel.

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“Certainly have some sold out schedules but we add extra services to give people options whenever we see sold out schedules.”

After mass flooding and mudslide events damaged highways throughout B.C, Desjardine says Ebus waited to resume service until November 20 – starting up again with trips during daylight hours.

“And what that allows us to do it that allows us to travel through those extreme corridors during the daytime,” he explains, “So it gives us a better opportunity to observe traffic, to observe working crews, and definitely identify hazards such as falling debris and stuff like that, that are on the roads.”

Between the pandemic, and highway shutdowns, flying is the quickest option, but still comes at a higher cost than a bus trip. Many domestic flights cost hundreds, sometimes thousands of dollars while Ebus tickets out of Kamloops and other Interior cities are often less than $100.

“We made the conscious decision to migrate away from a non-refundable, somewhat of a discounted fare, and we only offer a fully refundable fare,” notes Desjardine, “We didn’t want to create a conflict between a customer and our frontline staff where they were demanding a refund on a ticket that couldn’t be used anymore. So all the tickets that you buy now are fully refundable, they are fully flexible.”

Travellers CFJC spoke with said they have started opting for bus travel to get around the Interior, and to and from the coast.

One woman said she was able to quickly book a bus trip last minute. “And it’s cheaper than planes, so I’ll go by bus anyday.”

“This is my first time taking the bus in awhile,” said another passenger.

And for one man, the bus wasn’t his usual method of transportation, but the lower cost was appealing. “I usually fly places but yeah it’s way cheaper.”

Passenger counts are climbing for the holiday travel period between December 17 and January 3, and Ebus says it’s better to book sooner rather than later.