Greyhound

[tomh009]

Transit isn't a service that functions well in a capitalist system.

It does seem to work fairly well for air traffic. Or at least it did, pre-COVID.

Anyway, I do believe that it will indeed be unregulated in the sense that there will be no restrictions as to which routes a company would be required or allowed to operate. I can't see how it would be significantly worse than the regulated environment we have had in recent years.

[KevinL]

Competitive advantage will go to operators that, like the article lays out, will work together to integrate tickets and scheduling. If you can let your passengers cross the province on one ticket, even if there's different operators, you get their business.

[KevinL]

Incidentally, on the Toronto end of things, word is that Megabus, one of the remaining operators at the Bay/Dundas terminal, will move their Toronto trips to the new Union terminal to share with GO. Presumably Coach Canada will follow suit, and that means the end of the old midtown facility.

[danbrotherston]

Transit isn't a service that functions well in a capitalist system.

It does seem to work fairly well for air traffic. Or at least it did, pre-COVID.

Anyway, I do believe that it will indeed be unregulated in the sense that there will be no restrictions as to which routes a company would be required or allowed to operate. I can't see how it would be significantly worse than the regulated environment we have had in recent years.

Air traffic isn't exactly analogous, for one it's primarily focused on point to point, because stops are extremely expensive.

But if we want to go down that thought experiment, the region should be investing 43MM on expanding a bus station (which we already have, and is already worth 100s of millions), under the hopes that we can attract some bus companies to run service here. Oh, and we'll probably have to subsidize their routes for a while.

Will it be worst than the regulated environment...maybe, maybe not...I think it's wise to never seriously ask the question "how could it be worse". Usually there is a way. But I'll grant you, in this instance, one is not coming to mind.

[danbrotherston]

Incidentally, on the Toronto end of things, word is that Megabus, one of the remaining operators at the Bay/Dundas terminal, will move their Toronto trips to the new Union terminal to share with GO. Presumably Coach Canada will follow suit, and that means the end of the old midtown facility.

That will make things better in Toronto for transfers at least. I do question though, how much space there is at the new terminal. And...it's a big question what will happen with the old bus terminal. Who even owns it?

[KevinL]

 Who even owns it?

Per Wikipedia, a TTC subsidiary; so, the City.

[Acitta]

That will make things better in Toronto for transfers at least. I do question though, how much space there is at the new terminal. And...it's a big question what will happen with the old bus terminal. Who even owns it?

According to the Wikipedia Article, "The terminal is owned by Toronto Coach Terminal Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC).[1] The TTC managed the station directly until July 8, 2012, when it was leased out in its entirety to bus lines Coach Canada and Greyhound Canada for CA$1.2 million annually.[/url]"

"In April 2017, TTC staff proposed for the terminal to be declared surplus when Coach Canada and Greyhound Canada vacate the terminal. The city agency Build Toronto is interested in acquiring the property for redevelopment." [url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toronto_Coach_Terminal#cite_note-TTC-2017-04-20-12]

[nms]

Deregulated bus routes were examined in The (Federal) Standing Senate Committee on Transport and Communications circa 2002. (The page has not aged well and there are a few missing images)

Among other recommendations:

The Committee recommends that the federal government re-evaluate the need for consensus among all the jurisdictions and players before initiating action on intercity bus policy. 

So nothing?

[tomh009]

Maybe they are still working on discussions about forming a working committee to determine the need to define a process for re-evaluating the need for a consensus?

[bgb_ca]

Any word on anyone taking over the London/KW route? I had to book a trip to London in Sept and the only option was still the single VIA train at 7pm.

[ac3r]

To get to London from Kitchener without the VIA train, you can use the new Perth County Connect service. It's still a pilot program so it would probably help make it permanent if more people used it. You'd need to take the Kitchener > Stratford > London route. Locally, they serve these bus stops. I haven't used it myself yet, but it seems like a fair price. Pretty sure they use the same buses that GRT uses for GRT Mobility Plus.

[Bytor]

To get to London from Kitchener without the VIA train, you can use the new Perth County Connect service. It's still a pilot program so it would probably help make it permanent if more people used it. You'd need to take the Kitchener > Stratford > London route. Locally, they serve these bus stops. I haven't used it myself yet, but it seems like a fair price. Pretty sure they use the same buses that GRT uses for GRT Mobility Plus.

Oh, goodness, the same short busses they use for the busPlus routes like the 72? That was uncomfortable for the 10 minutes from Sportsworld to Boxwood Cr. Those narrowly placed seats that an adult can barely slide into, less comfortable than that hard-form seating in a standard bus. That would be horrible for the 2.5 hour trip time to get to London.

[danbrotherston]

To get to London from Kitchener without the VIA train, you can use the new Perth County Connect service. It's still a pilot program so it would probably help make it permanent if more people used it. You'd need to take the Kitchener > Stratford > London route. Locally, they serve these bus stops. I haven't used it myself yet, but it seems like a fair price. Pretty sure they use the same buses that GRT uses for GRT Mobility Plus.

Oh, goodness, the same short busses they use for the busPlus routes like the 72? That was uncomfortable for the 10 minutes from Sportsworld to Boxwood Cr. Those narrowly placed seats that an adult can barely slide into, less comfortable than that hard-form seating in a standard bus. That would be horrible for the 2.5 hour trip time to get to London.

Lol...sadly on Perth Connect it takes a lot longer than 2.5 hours to get to London...although not all of it is sitting on the bus.

[ac3r]

Oh, goodness, the same short busses they use for the busPlus routes like the 72? That was uncomfortable for the 10 minutes from Sportsworld to Boxwood Cr. Those narrowly placed seats that an adult can barely slide into, less comfortable than that hard-form seating in a standard bus. That would be horrible for the 2.5 hour trip time to get to London.

I imagine it isn't a popular trip, at least, so you could probably stretch out across an entire seat if you wanted and get as comfy as one could on those little vehicles. Those kind of buses aren't that bad to be honest...I've spent hours on shit minibuses in places like Russia and Turkey where the roads are awful and they're packed full of people. They're not the best thing to be on, but they get you from point A to B. Public transit isn't a luxury.

[bgb_ca]

I just looked at their schedule. I would not trust it to get me to London from Waterloo



Monday to Friday, their AM Waterloo connection arrives at the same time at Stratford, and lists a 5 minute buffer at St. Mary's. The PM trip, you miss the connection in Stratford by 8 minutes, and only have 5 mins in St. Mary's. The Mid day run does not connect



Weekends look a bit better, with a 14 minute buffer at Stratford and 17 at St. Mary's for the AM trip, and 20 minutes at Stratford, and 18 Minutes at St. Marys for the PM, but the Mid day does not connect at all.




For me to consider that on a weekday, unless I was in a tight bind, they need to improve the connections. All you need is for some traffic lights to not cooperate and you miss the connection an are stuck in Stratford or St. Mary's.




I don't think the service was meant to get people from Kitchener to London, but to serve the destinations in between.