By Tanya Cronin

Greyhound cuts to impact vulnerable women and seniors

Jul 18, 2018 | 5:03 PM

KAMLOOPS — It’s an important service for those without a vehicle, a crucial lifeline for many travellers wanting to get from one place to another. Ever since Greyhound announced it’s taking its service off the road in Western Canada this fall, uncertainty is mounting for those who rely on the company to get around. There is concern the cuts will have a drastic impact on the lives of vulnerable women and seniors.

The familiar stripes and galloping dog logo has graced Canadian highways for nearly 90 years. Greyhound has been a pillar of this country’s transportation industry, soon to disappear.

“It’s really, really concerning and unfortunate that it’s come to this point,” says Cassandra Schwarz, Elizabeth Fry Society Executive Director.

It’s been a week since Greyhound announced routes within Western Canada will stop running at the end of October. The looming loss of service leaving many asking what now. The Elizabeth Fry Society is deeply concerned for the wellbeing of the women and children they serve.

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“Mothers are the caregivers for their families, so it’s not just them and their appointments, it’s for their children as well,” says Schwarz. “There’s a concern about being comfortable having your child, your 16 year old go on the bus to go visit their father, or to go on the bus on their own.”

Executive Director Cassandra Schwarz says cuts leave few to no alternatives for safe, affordable and reliable transportation for mothers outside of Kamloops needing to get here to access resources. The move, forcing already vulnerable people to resort to riskier means.

“It really has a negative impact and it’s a safety concern as well, there is no other way if the government doesn’t step forward and provide a service to address this gap, and we don’t want to see mother hitchhiking with their babies on the highway.” 

“Greyhound is like an institution, it’s always been here, and to hear they’re going to close their doors especially on such short notice, it really makes you wonder, what went wrong,” says Brenda Prevost, Kamloops Centre for Seniors Information Executive Director.

Greyhound’s withdrawal also creating additional barriers for seniors accessing medical appointments, or other essential services that aren’t available in smaller centres. Seniors advocates are worried about quality of life for those without a drivers license.

“It is a vital service and without it what are the alternatives, there just simply isn’t a lot of alternatives, if they don’t have Greyhound, Handydart can’t be everywhere, they’re only in the larger areas, how do they get into the larger communities to access the services they need,” says Prevost.

Greyhound has a big presence in cities like Kamloops, a regional centre smaller surrounding communities. Any service that fills the gap will have to come from the private sector. For now, it’s an uncertainty lingering in the minds of passengers, their link to the wider world coming to an abrupt end.