The wheels of a Toronto-bound bus service will continue to go round and round for Orillia-based riders.
That bus just won’t be a Greyhound.
“We look forward to continuing to meet everyone’s needs,” said Beverly Martin, spokesperson for Ontario Northland, a provincially owned competitor.
Orillia is among 60 communities that will lose Greyhound bus service beginning April 11, the result of a decision by the company to end so-called inter-city passenger service on little used routes.
Greyhound Canada senior vice-president Stuart Kendrick said the decision was made “with great reluctance,” citing low ridership as the reason.
“The average number of passengers per trip on those routes targeted for closure is less than seven,” Kendrick said in a statement.
Greyhound coaches currently depart Orillia’s Front Street bus station for Toronto three times daily from Monday to Friday.
Coaches travel from Toronto to Orillia five times daily, Monday through Friday.
While the decision to end that service came as a shock to some riders, residents will still have regular access to Toronto-bound transportation, said Northland’s Martin.
“We certainly hope we can meet the needs of any passengers that are being inconvenienced by the changes at Greyhound,” she said.
Ontario Northland provides bus service from Orillia to Toronto four times daily.
“It is a fairly frequent route, for sure,” she added. “Hopefully our times are convenient for passengers (in Orillia.)”
Greyhound said the coming changes will allow it to break even on its Ontario operations, based on current estimates.
Service between Barrie and Toronto will continue, the company noted.
Martin could not say whether the company anticipated increasing the number of daily trips to Toronto, should demand rise substantially in future.
“At this point it would be premature,” she added. “We would definitely be monitoring the situation and would be reacting as required.”
Owned by the province and governed by a provincially appointed board of directors, Northland operates coaches to and from northeastern Ontario.
Kendrick said the future of Greyhound Canada’s cross-country operation depends on the outcome of a governmental working group that is due to recommend changes to regulations governing the passenger coach industry.
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