Greyhound shutdown exposes Ontario’s interregional transit gap

May 13, 2021

TORONTO — Mike Schreiner released the following statement in response to news that Greyhound Canada shutting down all bus service permanently:

QUEEN’S PARK — Mike Schreiner released the following statement in response to news that Greyhound Canada shutting down all bus service permanently:

“I am deeply concerned with the news that Greyhound Canada is shutting down all bus service permanently.

Greyhound busses were a crucial and affordable transport service for many Ontarians, particularly lower-income individuals, students, those in rural and remote areas and First Nations communities.

Greyhound connected smaller towns to larger hubs like London, Ottawa and the GTA, and its permanent shutdown will leave a massive gap in interregional transit, hurting underserved communities the most.

Just last week, I sent a letter to Ministers MacLeod and Mulroney urging funding to aid private coach companies in their recovery from the pandemic.

In addition to providing a vital service, these companies also help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, as busses are a far more energy efficient alternative to cars.

Instead of pumping billions of dollars into environmentally destructive projects like Highway 413, Ford should focus on making interregional transit accessible to all Ontarians, especially those in underserved communities like the North.

Ontario’s transit system is outdated and underfunded and is unaffordable and inaccessible to many. And while options like Greyhound were formerly filling the gaps in Ontario’s public transit, it’s now on Ford to step up and make interregional transit a reality.”

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