Packages may not be the only passengers who are able to get on the bus in Barrhead. At least if the newly elected NDP government has its way.
On June 1, Brian Mason, Alberta Transportation and Infrastructure minister, announced the government is examining options that would help restore bus service to upwards of 150 rural communities.
During the election campaign, the NDP promised that they would invest $8 million to help restore inter-municipal bus service in many of the towns lost after a dispute between Greyhound Canada and the provincial Progressive Conservative government.
In 2011, Greyhound approached the Alberta government, seeking subsidies for some of its less profitable routes that they claimed were costing the company millions of dollars.
The government refused and instead opened the door to competition, hoping other private businesses would pick up the slack. Greyhound, up to this point, operated in Alberta under a government deal that protected the company from competition in exchange for maintaining minimum service levels to rural communities.
Unfortunately, for many of the rural communities and their residents who were dependent on the service, the new service providers the government hoped for never materialized.
Helen Rice, Alberta Urban Municipalities Association (AUMA) president, welcomed the news, saying that bus service is critical for smaller communities.
She said the cut in bus service especially hurt senior citizens who often had no other way to access medical and other services that are only available in larger centres.
The Alberta Association of Municipal Districts and Counties were also pleased about the announcement and said they would work with any group that is working on connecting rural communities to the rest of the province. Not everyone was as excited about the possibility. The Wildrose Party said while it was in favour of increasing accessibility for rural communities, they didn’t believe the way to do it was by subsidizing a private company. The Liberals, PC and the Alberta Party were also skeptical of the plan, wondering that given the current economic climate if it was the right time to spend taxpayers money in an attempt to expand rural bus service. Admittedly, it would be easy to dismiss the notion, saying that the investment isn’t worth it and that the marketplace should have the final say. After all, if people are not prepared to use a bus route then perhaps it shouldn’t exist. However, we need to remember that all citizens, no matter where they live, need to be treated equally. Just because you live in a small town in rural Alberta rather than in Calgary or Edmonton does not mean you should have different access to government services. Rural Alberta is the heart of the province. It is where the majority of the natural resources and it is time that rural residents see some of the same benefits, including transit.
