The last gap in an alternative form of travel between most of Vancouver Island's major urban centres was bridged in mid-September.
You can now travel on BC Transit buses from Victoria to Campbell River after the last link in a chain of regional transit services was connected during a quiet celebration in Deep Bay, south of Courtenay.
Having worked together to connect their two regional transit systems since 2019, local government elected officials Stuart McLean (Regional District Nanaimo) and Daniel Arbour (Comox Valley Regional District), celebrated the new connection in Deep Bay.
“This is a small step, as it is currently a slow run from Campbell River to Victoria, but for a few dollars, riders can now travel across the five public transit systems every weekday, and a little bit on the weekend,” said McLean.
For decades, inter-regional transit on the Island was provided through the E&N railway and Greyhound bus. With their respective demise, private operators now provide small express bus services, but at a higher cost than many regular public transit users can afford, the officials say.
Arbour sees an opportunity for the provincial and federal governments to assign some of their inter-regional transit funds to Vancouver Island to prop up the new route.
“Vancouver Island is growing," Arbour said. "Our vision for this particular bus initiative would be to grow it to a few runs a day with efficient transfers. That is when we would see increased value to users and communities, and increased ridership.”
In the meantime, beyond the new link from Victoria to Campbell River, McLean and Arbour are happy for the immediate benefit of having their respective communities connected.
There is a lot of cultural connectivity from Union Bay to Bowser, they said, and it will be great that teenagers, families and friends now have a new way to connect in this rural area.
