Increased regulation of commercial bus lines not on immediate horizon: Province

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 10/03/2023 (932 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

WINNIPEG — The co-founder of a national bus coalition is calling for more regulation of commercial passenger coaches in Manitoba.

“It’s a matter of time before somebody dies,” said Kasper Wabinski of Coast to Coast Bus Coalition and owner of Kasper Transportation, which shuttles passengers between Winnipeg and Thunder Bay, Ont.

Last week, the Winnipeg Free Press reported on allegations from passengers and employees of northern bus lines who say they’ve spent the 760-kilometre trek between Winnipeg and Thompson in unheated buses that frequently break down.

Wabinski blames, in part, deregulation.

In 2019, Manitoba ended its Motor Transport Board, which used to issue authorization for intercity bus routes. Drivers still need specialized licences, the Free Press reported at the time.

Passenger buses must undergo formal inspection every six months. The province will also randomly inspect buses, which usually involves checking paperwork with bus drivers.

However, it’s not enough, according to Wabinski.

“[These are] operations where people’s lives are on the line.”

Northern Manitoba residents regularly use the buses to reach medical appointments in Winnipeg, and the province often subsidizes the tickets.

“I would never [run these buses]for $75 a ticket. I’d be charging $300 a ticket, because that’s how much I’d need to charge to do that route properly,” Wabinski said.

NCN Thompson Bus Lines — passengers have described the carrier’s on-board conditions as freezing — charges $75 for a one-way ticket. Its competitor, Maple Bus Lines, has comparable prices.

Kasper Transportation charges upwards of $300 for a one-way, 700-kilometre ticket to Thunder Bay from Winnipeg. The buses have satellite television and GPS tracking apps — and heat, Wabinski said.

The Thompson operators are in a “pricing war” to keep customers, Wabinski alleged.

It’s difficult for bus operators who face competition to raise prices — if one does while the other does not, customers may flock to the cheaper option, he added.

Operating a bus business has never been so expensive — it’s roughly $700,000 for a new 56-seat motor coach, and a used model could be $400,000, said Mike Cassidy, owner of Charlottetown-based Maritime Bus.

Interest rates and other operating costs have also skyrocketed, he added. “You’ll never have safety established in your company if you’re not financially stable.”

Cassidy is for regulation. Provincial bodies look at consumer demand and whether a bus company can provide the services it’s offering before green-lighting a new business, he said.

Maritime Bus’s ticket prices are government regulated in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, and his vehicles must be inspected by the province.

“In the bus business, there’s not many of us — there’s not that much work,” Cassidy said.

He questioned how multiple commercial bus companies could operate out of Thompson (pop. 13,000) after Greyhound left its Manitoba routes in 2018. The business cited high costs and declining ridership as reasons for leaving Western Canada.

The government of Manitoba “is not currently contemplating” changes to its regulation of commercial buses, according to a provincial spokesperson.

However, it has proposed amendments to toughen up on motor carrier businesses that close and reopen with new names instead of addressing safety issues. New carriers must also have a certified compliance officer and submit a safety plan before receiving a safety fitness certificate.

All commercial vehicles are expected to follow Canadian National Safety Code standards, the provincial spokesperson said.

“The more regulations, the better, because safety is No. 1,” said Lori Mann, owner of Maple Bus Lines.

She, however, doesn’t believe there are too many carriers in Thompson — and she disputed allegations of poorly maintained Maple buses: “We have never, ever had a heat complaint on our bus.”

Dennis Foley, a former Thompson city councillor, said he’d like more government regulation of commercial buses.

“Right now, taking a bus in northern Manitoba, it’s not safe,” Foley said. “Without [more regulation], these operators aren’t held to task.”

Thompson residents can also reach Winnipeg by taking a train, plane or the highway system. Tickets via plane and train are more expensive than the bus.

NCN Thompson did not respond to interview requests by deadline.

» Winnipeg Free Press