Greyhound is Gone

[Ozy_Flame]

Originally Posted by Locke

With the NDP around in Alberta and BC thats almost certainly whats going to happen here as well. Government owned and operated Bus Transportation. So I wouldnt be too worried about it.

Is there truth to this or just hyperbole?

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Slava

I took the bone shaker once from Lethbridge to Calgary. It was a terrible five hours of my life. There was a kid vomiting blood, a bus breakdown and it was generally horrible. Weird that they haven't managed to stay in business!

What? 5 hours? Thats nothing! Your suffering is inconsequential!

It took like 17 hours to get to Vancouver. To Toronto I was on that bitch for days....DAYS!

[Lubicon]

Originally Posted by Locke

Well if your parents are in Saskatchewan that should be fine, last I remember Saskatchewan had their own Provincially owned bus line, when I was working at Greyhound, the bus stopped at Speedy Creek (Swift Current) and swapped to the Government owned Saskatchewan Transportation Company (STC) until they hit Manitoba.

With the NDP around in Alberta and BC thats almost certainly whats going to happen here as well. Government owned and operated Bus Transportation. So I wouldnt be too worried about it.

They'll probably even get a Carbon Tax Exemption.

Saskatchewan shut their STC system down but it sounds like a few smaller players may have popped up on certain routes. But it would be in the realm of possibilities for a smaller regional company to set up and maybe do Manitoba and west.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saska...-stc-1.4212429

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Lubicon

Saskatchewan shut their STC system down but it sounds like a few smaller players may have popped up on certain routes. But it would be in the realm of possibilities for a smaller regional company to set up and maybe do Manitoba and west.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saska...-stc-1.4212429

Oh, wow. That happened last year, I didnt know that.

That being said, it should be pointed out that the Government owned and operated Bus line didnt even last as long as....probably the single most mismanaged, inefficient and just general disaster of a company I've ever experienced in my life in Greyhound.

We should get the Government more into business! They're doing so well!

The thing is, in this day and age of high fuel costs and Carbon taxes, all those people living in Rural areas and skimping on Property taxes and what not are going to have to start paying because their lifestyle is an inconvenience to rest of the general population.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

Is there truth to this or just hyperbole?

I'm not basing it on any concrete information if thats what you're asking.

But the fact of the matter is that Sask ran their own Government owned bus line until last year and Greyhound survived decades of Union strife and generally incompetent mismanagement because they were given grants by the Government because they served rural areas.

If you needed something delivered to a small town you're not calling UPS or DHL, you're calling the Dirty Dawg.

You need a native delivered to Hobbema? The cops/RCMP arent taking him, they're just putting him on the 'Hound. That I know for a fact.

These are the kinds of services that will be disrupted in addition to shipping freight to various small rural locations. Jobs which Greyhound charged a lower rate because the Government made up the difference in thanks for the convenience and the service.

So yeah, I would imagine that if some private enterprise doesnt step in and take it over, and, lets be honest, who would? Its not lucrative unless you can do it for less than your Government Subsidy and pocket the difference, then the Government will likely step in, buy a bunch of old surplus Hound buses and start their own gig.

Likely because Rural votes count and nobody else is going to do it.

I have no inside information, I'm just putting the obvious pieces together.

[jayocal]

I'm a current coach operator at Greyhound here in Calgary. All of what's left of our schedules are almost always sold out in every direction. We are also still moving plenty of freight as well. There is definitely more to this decision than meets the eye.

This can be a viable business in Western Canada. I hope someone steps up.

[Slava]

Originally Posted by Locke

What? 5 hours? Thats nothing! Your suffering is inconsequential!

It took like 17 hours to get to Vancouver. To Toronto I was on that bitch for days....DAYS!

I know and I have no idea how you could do that, willingly! The thing is, Lethbridge is 2 hours away, but I digress.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by jayocal

I'm a current coach operator at Greyhound here in Calgary. All of what's left of our schedules are almost always sold out in every direction. We are also still moving plenty of freight as well. There is definitely more to this decision than meets the eye.

This can be a viable business in Western Canada. I hope someone steps up.

Really? Thats interesting, I still do taxes for a lot of the Greyhound guys here in town, its where I started among other things. How long have you been there?

[Fuzz]

It's OK. Fully autonomous electric magic cars will be around as soon as next year* offering rides starting at a dollar to solve problems like this.




*not arriving next year.

[jayocal]

Originally Posted by Locke

Really? Thats interesting, I still do taxes for a lot of the Greyhound guys here in town, its where I started among other things. How long have you been there?

5 years. I started July 2013.

I love my job so this has been a rough day.

[afc wimbledon]

Never understood why coach travel here is such primitive mess, you get a coach in the UK (2 hour trip max in most cases) where it is still the land of the poor disenfranchised but you get a double deck coach with a waitress and a canteen, tv's built into the seats etc.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by jayocal

5 years. I started July 2013.

I love my job so this has been a rough day.

Okay, so you're new at the Dog as compared to someone like me.

If you're worried I have contacts at other transport companies like Red Arrow, Brewster and some trucking outfits. Obviously I cant promise anything, but I know people.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by afc wimbledon

Never understood why coach travel here is such primitive mess, you get a coach in the UK (2 hour trip max in most cases) where it is still the land of the poor disenfranchised but you get a double deck coach with a waitress and a canteen, tv's built into the seats etc.

You answered your own question.

The UK is inconsequentially tiny within the realm of overall transport.

I was doing taxes for imported drivers from the UK and Eastern Europe in ~2005 or so when we didnt have enough drivers so we were importing them.

Unlike those places, Canada is BIG.

[afc wimbledon]

Originally Posted by jayocal

5 years. I started July 2013.

I love my job so this has been a rough day.

You'll be fine, there's a need for the service, someone will step in, they will need staff

[Locke]

Originally Posted by jayocal

5 years. I started July 2013.

I love my job so this has been a rough day.

And to put that into perspective, my Dad worked for Greyhound for 33 years.

[afc wimbledon]

Originally Posted by Locke

You answered your own question.

The UK is inconsequentially tiny within the realm of overall transport.

I was doing taxes for imported drivers from the UK and Eastern Europe in ~2005 or so when we didnt have enough drivers so we were importing them.

Unlike those places, Canada is BIG.

That's my point though, in the UK no one really needs a coach with TV's a canteen serving snacks etc, that's just what they do to compete with cars trains etc.
If any place needs a luxury coach with a canteen and TV's its a 4 day trip to Toronto or the like

[scotty2hotty]

Originally Posted by SebC

So air travel is going to be the only way to get around half the country without a driver's license? I wonder if that's a situation that warrants government intervention.

Duh - you can always take the train

https://www.rockymountaineer.com/goldleaf

[jayocal]

Originally Posted by Locke

Okay, so you're new at the Dog as compared to someone like me.

If you're worried I have contacts at other transport companies like Red Arrow, Brewster and some trucking outfits. Obviously I cant promise anything, but I know people.

That's a very kind offer. I have a family so I'm now starting to fantasize about having a "regular hours" job.

I'm going to take some time to digest this news but I'll consider your offer. I'm wondering if a company like Red Arrow or Traxx may expand their scope and take over the corridors Greyhound are leaving behind.

[Puppet Guy]

Having just spent an hour trying to navigate Greyhound's web site and their non-working credit card system and getting nowhere, I can't say I'm sad to see them go.

[DownhillGoat]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

Is there truth to this or just hyperbole?

BC already is, temporarily at least.

https://globalnews.ca/news/4240740/n...c-bus-service/