The wheels on the bus are going round and round in Alberta at Canada Bus. A service provider that has stepped up as the critical need for transportation across the province continues to grow.

Transportation Minister Rajan Sawhney says this service is important to Albertans. She says its good timing after services were shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic.

One-way fares from Edmonton to and from Calgary are $39 and Red Deer to or from Calgary or Edmonton will be $25. Later this year, bus service will be extended to Kelowna and Vancouver. The Calgary-based bus company website shows that travelers will be able to go from Calgary to Banff and Canmore in the near future.

“When Greyhound left the province back in 2018 it left a huge gap and a huge void that quite frankly hasn’t been filled properly as of yet, so Satender Singh, who would be the operations manager of Canada Bus service really stepped in at a critical time and also because of the pandemic. All the existing bus services that were running Calgary to Edmonton to Red Deer they were totally shut down so this is great timing and is much needed.”

“We are just filling more services to the public transportation,” company owner Sadender Singh told Global News.

The daily service includes free wi-fi, free water bottle, free USB charging port and reclining seats. Masks will be required on the bus, as per COVID-19 protocols, as well it will run at 50 per cent occupancy.

Sawhney is excited that this bus service is affordable for the low- income bracket, disabled, seniors and students, and hopes the service can extend to rural areas.

The bus service is privately owned, which means it is not government funded. Calgary has allowed people to catch the service from the Whitehorn, Dalhousie and Brentwood stations. And in Edmonton, the bus will pick up and drop off passengers at the Southgate and Kingsway stations. Between now and Sept. 30, tickets for rides between Calgary and Edmonton are on sale for $29.

The company has a deal running where passengers will save 35 per cent when they purchase a six-pack of tickets.

The company also plans to introduce a student pass with flexible ride dates, said Singh.

For further information on Canada Bus, check out the company website for bus schedules or ticket information at www.thecanadabus.com or phone 403-668-9600.