The qathet Regional District and Tla’amin Nation are exploring the possibility of a rural on-demand transit service for the area.
To do this, they will launch a study that analyzes how well the current rural paratransit service meets residents’ needs and see if they should either supplement or replace the existing service with an on-demand transit solution.
This would mean transit riders could use app-based technology to schedule rides when they need them. Stops and overall travel-times would be determined by passenger pick-up and drop-off locations.
This differs from a fixed-route service where the bus comes at set times to designated stops, according to the district.
You can provide feedback about your travel needs, how you use the existing bus routes, identify challenges and share solutions by completing an online survey from now until Oct. 20 on the district’s website.
Open houses will also be held between Oct. 16 and 20 at the following locations:
- North of Town – Monday, Oct. 16 (5 –7 p.m.) Northside Community Recreation Centre (9656 Larson Rd)
- Tla’amin Nation – Tuesday, Oct. 17 (5 – 7 p.m.) Administration Building (4779 Klahanie Rd)
- South of Town – Wednesday, Oct. 18 (5 – 7 p.m.) Lang Bay Community Hall (11090 Hwy 101)
- Texada Island Thursday, Oct. 19 (5 – 7 p.m.) Texada Island Community Hall (4913 Gillies Bay Rd)
There are currently three paratransit routes in the rural areas of the qathet region which are Route 12: Stillwater, Route 13: Texada Island and Route 14: Lund. They are funded by BC Transit, taxpayers from the electoral areas and contributions from Tla’amin Nation.
