Greyhound will stop bus service to Manitoba, Northern Ontario

[LChoy]

The intercity bus company says it is giving 30 days notice to the Manitoba Highway Traffic Board so that passenger tickets sold to date in that province can be honoured.
In Ontario, Greyhound is giving 90 days notice to the Ontario Highway Transport Board, meaning Greyhound service in northwestern Ontario will stop as of Dec. 2.

Stuart Kendrick, senior vice-president of Greyhound Canada, says the company is in a "dire" financial situation, and that government is to blame.
He says "we are no longer in a position to absorb losses that are almost solely attributable to government policies."

http://www.cbc.ca/money/story/2009/0...-stoppage.html

They are also reviewing operations in AB, Sask, BC, and up North in the Territories.
Maybe I'm missing something, but what government policies are contributing to this?

[Locke]

They're required to deliver freight and passengers to every butthole little town in the Universe.

Oh, and Greyhound sucks ass. Current ownership and management couldnt care less about the Greyhound division.

[habernac]

Greyhound has been dying a slow death for years. Their head office used to be here. I think most of the building downtown is now for lease. After being sold a number of times, I believe it's in Kentucky or somewhere like that. It's a poorly run company at best. The Americans don't care about the Canadian business and will probably just let it go.

[DOK]

Originally Posted by Locke

Current ownership and management couldnt care less about the Greyhound division.

Besides the bus system, what else do they do then?

[habernac]

Originally Posted by DOK

Besides the bus system, what else do they do then?

package express probably earns them more money than passenger travel. But that system is so antiquated I'm surprised anyone uses them anymore.

[Bobblehead]

Originally Posted by habernac

package express probably earns them more money than passenger travel. But that system is so antiquated I'm surprised anyone uses them anymore.

My company uses them for freight a lot specifically because they regularly go to the small towns in rural Canada. Other couriers will, but they usually tack on an extra day or two for "non-metro" deliveries or charge through the nose.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by DOK

Besides the bus system, what else do they do then?

Its the other way around, Greyhound was included in a large sale to, I believe, a Scottish conglomerate group that had to buy the whole thing in order to get some big American transportation and school bus companies.

Greyhound was essentially a throw in that no one cares about anymore.

[Bobblehead]

I wonder if some of the "government policies" were a result of the decapitation?

I've seen a couple stories on the news since then about how a reporter was able to smuggle a knife on board a bus. I would think it would be almost impossible to provide any meaningful security at any of the small rural stops.

[Sliver]

I realize some people have to take the bus for economic reasons, but it has always seemed like a pretty nasty way to travel to me. I took the Greyhound a couple of times when I was young and hated it.

It does seem completely reasonable to me that they would want to discountinue unprofitable routes. They'd be crazy not to regardless of where they're headquartered.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Bobblehead

I wonder if some of the "government policies" were a result of the decapitation?

I've seen a couple stories on the news since then about how a reporter was able to smuggle a knife on board a bus. I would think it would be almost impossible to provide any meaningful security at any of the small rural stops.

Oh no, this has been in place forever, but I think at one point they got compensated for delivering people and freight to obscure crapholes.

Taking the bus anywhere is hell on earth. When I was working there I got free bus trips anywhere in Canada so I went to visit a buddy in Vancouver, round trip, for free.

I bought a WestJet ticket home, I wish Captain Decapitator had been on my bus and killed me. I couldnt put up with that hell for FREE....

[habernac]

yeah, not a lot of fun. I worked at the Hound in Ft McMurray. Got free rides to Edmonton and back as I knew all the drivers. Not the most pleasant way to travel.

[mykalberta]

I used to take the bus home on some weekends when I went to RDC and UofA

Seedy characters true, but you keep to yoruself and sit near the front and dont use the washroom and you are fine. Bonus was the Red Deer bus depot has a DQ near it

[mariners_fever]

Originally Posted by Bobblehead

I've seen a couple stories on the news since then about how a reporter was able to smuggle a knife on board a bus. I would think it would be almost impossible to provide any meaningful security at any of the small rural stops.

is it really smuggling if there's no one to stop you?

[Jordan!]

The world will be a better place when this method of travel is obsolete.. I'll never forget when some cracked out d-bag stole my gameboy AND gamegear when my brother and I went to get slurpees in Golden B.C. when I was 10.

Greyhound: We're for Scumbags!

[Hack&Lube]

Originally Posted by mariners_fever

is it really smuggling if there's no one to stop you?

No, it just becomes a beheading

[Dion]

I heard Greyhound won't stop in Swift Current for fear of the rats hitch hiking a free ride.

[Devils'Advocate]

I love taking the bus. I enjoy it much more than the train. Going through New Brunswick by train is just a tree, that looks like the last tree, that looks just like the tree before that. At least by bus you can see buildings and towns and ....

I take Greyhound from Ottawa to Montreal 7 or 8 times a year, and Toronto at least twice. But I would never think of taking it to, say, Halifax. Four hours is my limit.

Funny thing about capitalism. Should Greyhound fail, there will be someone there to take their place on the profitable routes.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Devils'Advocate

I love taking the bus. I enjoy it much more than the train. Going through New Brunswick by train is just a tree, that looks like the last tree, that looks just like the tree before that. At least by bus you can see buildings and towns and ....

I take Greyhound from Ottawa to Montreal 7 or 8 times a year, and Toronto at least twice. But I would never think of taking it to, say, Halifax. Four hours is my limit.

Funny thing about capitalism. Should Greyhound fail, there will be someone there to take their place on the profitable routes.

Yeah, but odds are the Government will mandate that someone has to provide service to the crap routes. Its part of the reason Air Canada was flying empty planes to the NWT years ago.

[Rerun]

Originally Posted by habernac

package express probably earns them more money than passenger travel. But that system is so antiquated I'm surprised anyone uses them anymore.

My friend is a courier driver for Greyhound's package express system.... and yes that division does make money.... or I assume it does since he makes pretty good coin doing it.

However, the division, and the drivers, are treated like second class citizens by Greyhound.... kind of like an after thought when it comes to pay contracts, benefits, etc.

[Thor]

Less beheadings for all!