Sicamous is looking into establishing a bus service between the district and other larger cities.
Mayor and council sent a letter to Pacific Western Transportation in support of a transport bus service being implemented in the area following a community survey asking residents if they felt the resource was needed and wanted.
The survey announced Pacific Western was looking to add consistent bus routes from the Alberta border to the Okanagan, passing through Sicamous, and was conducted to allow the bus service to get regulators’ permission to operate. The company needed survey data to prove there is demand for a bus route.
The survey closed Aug. 14.
“Since Greyhound’s departure in 2018, no bus service has fulfilled the needs of the community,” reads the letter.
Ebus services stop in Salmon Arm on routes from Kelowna to Kamloops, but that would require patrons to get to Salmon Arm from Sicamous first for scheduled trips.
“As a rural community, a disconnect can occur for seniors and youth alike when public transportation isn’t available. Bus services to other communities are used to get to appointments, sports, shopping and other activities.”
Located at the junction of the Trans-Canada Highway and Highway 97A, Sicamous is situated in a highly travelled area and likely wouldn’t lack interested bus passengers. With a population of 2,613 that triples in the busy summer season, the letter adds some of the district’s largest employers are in the tourism industry.
“With tourism, comes the need for seasonal workers and a bus service to and from Sicamous would help attract workers to the community from across Canada and internationally, to fulfill seasonal work opportunities.”
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rebecca.willson@saobserver.net
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