CARIBOU TRACKING EASTWARD – Will Bus Service Be Saved?
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THUNDER BAY, ON – Residents of communities in Northern Ontario have been very outspoken in recent days at the joint decision by the Ontario Government and Ontario Northland Transportation Commission to dissolve the services of the financially strapped carrier, and what this will mean for the communities who have relied on its services for nearly a century.“The potential loss of a service such as this has far reaching implications for the communities in Ontario’s North,” commented Sandy Smith, President & General Manager of Caribou Coach Transportation Company Inc.
“The residents of the communities serviced by Ontario Northland are well within their right to be upset at this decision”, continued Smith. “Any disruption in service will have rippling effects for bus patrons across the province…from the travelling public, to those who depend on the reliability of freight services.”
Caribou Coach, currently offers scheduled bus services in Northwestern Ontario, (including through to Hearst, Ontario where it currently meets Ontario Northland) has a proven record of offering safe and reliable services, that when coupled with existing infrastructure can mean a smooth and seamless extension of services for the North along Highway 11.
“Regionally based carriers have the best understanding of the geography and demographic of the areas that we are dealing with here…unlike the big Toronto based carriers who promise great things, but in the end are simply looking for a quick buck rather than a sound solution,” added Smith. “If the government continues to turn its back on the outcry of the people in these communities, then we want to be able to step up and offer the best regional solution we can in order to keep the wheels turning, the public moving, and employment in the North by local northern companies.”
Caribou Coach Transportation Company Inc. has set up an online petition page in an effort to show that there is public support in Northern Ontario and throughout the province for maintaining services to the communities who need it the most. The petition can be found by visiting the company’s website at: www.cariboucoach.ca.
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- Caribou Coach offers regularly scheduled passenger services to the communities along the Highway 11 stretch of the Trans-Canada Highway between Fort Frances, Ontario and Hearst, Ontario.
