The Shuttle Bus program operated by Friendship House on the North Coast secured 200,000 dollars in funding with the local transportation initiative. The program is one of eighteen groups or communities to gain financial help from the province through the Northern Development Initiative Trust.
In total, the Province has allocated 2.8 million dollars towards the program which North Coast MLA Jennifer Rice notes provides for reliable transportation for many communities.
“This funding will ensure people in rural and remote communities in B.C.’s North continue to have access to affordable public transportation. The long distances between small, isolated communities in the North underscore importance of maintaining safe, reliable bus services in this part of the province.” -- ” Jennifer Rice, MLA for North Coast, on behalf of Rob Fleming, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure.
The grants were awarded earlier this month by NDIT as part of the Federal/Provincial Safe Restart Funding program, the Northern Community Shuttle program will will replace the existing community transportation grant program effective Friday, April 1, 2022.
The Province has funded community buses since 2017 as part of the Highway 16 Transportation Action Plan. In 2018, after Greyhound discontinued service in the region, the Province also launched the long-haul intercity BC Bus North service.
The shuttle buses, along with Regional Transit co-operation from Terrace through to the Lakes District helps to fill in some of the transportation gaps that exist in the northwest.
Further background on the Shuttle service can be reviewed here.
More on the announcement and the full list of those communities which have received funding can be reviewed here.
What the NDIT northern Passenger Transportation program is all about can be examined here.
Further items related to the Highway 16 corridor can be reviewed here.