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Lack of ridership due to lack of service

Letters

Editor:

Sadly, the Coast Reporter recently published the results of a meeting with BC Transit in which it was decided that service beyond the arena on Route 3 would end in October (“Minor changes coming to two Sechelt bus routes,” July 21). Lack of ridership was listed as a key factor.

I don’t dispute that there is a lack of ridership. I do question whether this is due to lack of need or a lack of service. Public transit cannot be successful unless it’s both on time (reliable) and connects well with other routes (time-effective). Route 3, with its current poor quality service, is neither.

There are five in our family including my three school-aged kids. They are avid bus users and my daughter has a monthly pass. They are web-savvy and can read a schedule. Despite this, we’re close to giving up on any attempts to use Route 3. This evening (once again) my daughter was at the stop 10 minutes early and waited 30 minutes for a bus that never came. She gave up on this trip into Sechelt. This has happened frequently with steadily worsening on-time performance. I believe BC Transit has already given up on us. When it comes to making a connection to Bus 1 or 90 for work or sports events in Gibsons, we’ve taken to driving the kids to Sechelt to be sure they make their connection. It’s disappointing to have to use our car, burning gas and time, to replicate a poorly delivered public service that could otherwise be so useful.

Everyone in our family is supportive of transit. I challenge the SCRD and BC Transit to provide transit service on Route 3, all of Route 3, which actually works before condemning it for lack of use.

Ron Nelson, Sechelt