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Greyhound in the news


A. Wong

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Perhaps they could increase ridership with a modern fleet of new equipment and NOT 30 year old dead line queens fromthe south... OK, rant over

Rant over, huh? LMAO! 30 year old equipment from the south? Oldest were 1994's! But they were probably tired and felt like they were 30 years old! And on that note, very few of those 8000 series Ex-American units are still active lately either. Many parked in storage in Calgary with smashed windows and many parked in that storage place the Fraser Valley.
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Rant over, huh? LMAO! 30 year old equipment from the south? Oldest were 1994's! But they were probably tired and felt like they were 30 years old! And on that note, very few of those 8000 series Ex-American units are still active lately either. Many parked in storage in Calgary with smashed windows and many parked in that storage place the Fraser Valley.

8017 and 8019 are the only active 8000 series operating in BC. I've only heard of, I think, three other 8000 series across the rest of the country.What really needs to happen is the bus hogs in the east need to start sending some of the good buses out west.

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If Greyhound isn't interested in operating some routes, just contract them out, simple. It wont affect their passenger transportation license in any way, but it will get them off that run. I can see Greyhound contracting out/deleting some services, however frequency decrese is probably their best route. These are my predictions and with what Ive heard shouldnt be too far off. Day runs out of Peace River and Edmonton in that corridor will more than likely have frequency reduced to at least 5 days a week or be cut altogether. Peace River to Hay River..likely will have service reductions to at max they may keep 5 days a week, but more than likely the cuts could even be 3 days/week much like Whitehorse, UP one day back the next. Edmonton to Cold Lake possibly could be cut to 6 days a week, Pretty much gauranteed Saskatoon will have at least one run chopped in each direction and even frequency reductions, Edmonton to Jasper will almost guaranteed face service reductions on the Jasper local if its not cut out completly, same with Edmonton to Lloydminster local that service more than likely will be cut. I think Fort McMurray will fare ok, however I am willing to net their will be reductions on the Edmonton to Calgary corridor, like all Fri and Sun express runs will probably get chopped. Out of Calgary I'm thinkin the Medicine Hat local via the TCH will be chopped as well as the 3 day a week service to Saskatoon through Alsask, also service through Fort Macleod will more than likely be cut as well as I can see them only having one trip a day through Vulcan(maybe even only 5-6 days/week). Edmonton to Grande Prairie I could see them cutting one trip to 6 days/week in each direction, they could even cut the afternoon bus from Grande Prairie to Dawson Creek on Sundays as most sundays it doesnt even pull a trailer and carries less than a dozen passengers in its total trip from Gp to Fsj and back.

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How does the Edmonton Jasper trip do in the summer? If the numbers are good in the summer might make sene to leave it but then first group isn't kown for doing stuff that makes sense.

I'm also wondering why they don't lease a bunch of coaches sure that would be cheaper using foreign lines for overloads or paying for foreign coaches to run a sched plus paying for a hound driver to act as conductor on the trip.

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How does the Edmonton Jasper trip do in the summer? If the numbers are good in the summer might make sene to leave it but then first group isn't kown for doing stuff that makes sense.

I'm also wondering why they don't lease a bunch of coaches sure that would be cheaper using foreign lines for overloads or paying for foreign coaches to run a sched plus paying for a hound driver to act as conductor on the trip.

I'm not sure load numbers, but Jasper has 4 schedules a day right now, one is a local,two go tthrough to Kamloops and the other goes to Prince George. The local may do not too bad, but the bus lays over in Jasper from 6pm until 1 pm the next day...talk about a waste of resources....you'd think they'd be able to adjust the schedules so that does not happen. Laying over is not a big thing, but for 19 hours....crazy. I would think if they dont cut it maybe it would just have frequency cut or run summers only.

And you are sure right...First Group rarely does anything that makes sense..If First would just leave everything to a Canadian management group with experience in the inter city bus industry we may see some different things that make sense happening. However I could see Greyhound dropping runs and contracting them out to First Bus..which is what they do now on Edmonton to Macklin,Swan Hills and Drayton Valley also Peace River to Grande Prairie. That would be a wise move on their part..! In my opinion I think Greyhound should run the mainlines and First should run all the feeders(as they can do it cheaper and with different equipment). But who knows with First though.

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  • 3 months later...

I got this from a friend of mine. B)

My wife picked up a distraught passenger from the Bus Dept. She was 77 years old and had travelled from Toronto to Brandon via Winnipeg, but somewhere between Toronto and Winnipeg the driver stopped the bus on an isolated stretch of road and walked away. It was six hours before they were rescued, (I hope he left the engine running). My wife took her to The Colonial Inn to wait for her husband to take her to Russell. The Bus company gave refunds to all the passengers, some were going to Edmonton. I have watched the news but have not found out what happened to the Bus driver.

And form the Toronto Star

Normally, White River is a 15-minute stop on the Greyhound route.

On Sunday, the northern Ontario town was a 14-hour purgatory for two busloads of travellers.

They were headed west on the TransCanada Highway when they stopped at the Husky station at 3:30 a.m. Normally, it’s a coffee break and pit stop that allows for a driver change.

Patrick Moran, on his way to Fort McMurray, Alta., from Grimsby, remembers his driver’s words as he stepped off the bus: “The roads are closed, sit tight.”

Then, nothing. The driver left his passengers to go sleep at a local motel. No replacement driver arrived.

“They abandoned us,” said Moran, 19. “They didn’t say another word to us until 1 p.m.”

Inside Moran’s sold-out bus, the passengers figured out how to open the door and adjust the heat. A few hours later, they noticed snow plows and cars on the roads. People were hungry, one woman had diabetes, and several passengers had very little money. Perfume couldn’t cover the smells wafting from the bathroom. One persistent rumour circulated as to the delay: the roads were fine but the driver had logged too many hours.

On Monday, a Greyhound spokesman said the delays were purely weather related.

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Looks like there's some detail issues in that story. Stuck for 14 hours? But it says 3 a.m. Sunday to 5 p.m. Monday which is 38 hours. Regardless, shame on Greyhound for leaving the passengers alone for even one hour! I hope passengers get properly compensated.

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Looks like there's some detail issues in that story. Stuck for 14 hours? But it says 3 a.m. Sunday to 5 p.m. Monday which is 38 hours. Regardless, shame on Greyhound for leaving the passengers alone for even one hour! I hope passengers get properly compensated.

Well if theirs two buses that means each one should have a replacement driver, If thats the case then Disciplinary action Needs to be Taken against a driver at least, Especially if its found out that the roads were open shortly after, and The drivers should have at least told the passengers something or someone from customer service anyways! Im surprised the people in White River at the Husky never noticed two full buses just sitting their full of people I know most agents if their was a bus sitting in their parking lot for an extended period of time, someone should have investigated. I'm Very Surprised Eastern Dispatch didnt say something. I know in the west they dont change drivers at some little hick town out in the middle of nowhere, Ever!!

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Well if theirs two buses that means each one should have a replacement driver, If thats the case then Disciplinary action Needs to be Taken against a driver at least, Especially if its found out that the roads were open shortly after, and The drivers should have at least told the passengers something or someone from customer service anyways! Im surprised the people in White River at the Husky never noticed two full buses just sitting their full of people I know most agents if their was a bus sitting in their parking lot for an extended period of time, someone should have investigated. I'm Very Surprised Eastern Dispatch didnt say something. I know in the west they dont change drivers at some little hick town out in the middle of nowhere, Ever!!

this is why the whole story sounds very fishy to me... it just doesn't all add up IMO. And what you said regarding the Husky thing and eastern dispatch not doing anything makes it a bit more questionable on the details.

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Never say never, I'm fairly certain that Rock Creek BC (Population 300) is a driver change point

I'm not too sure on that one, I know its a transfer point but i dont think its a driver change point! As drivers I believe running through Rock Creek are Kelowna based, the only exception I believe is the one that does Vancouver-Osoyoos/Rock Creek and Im sure its Vancouver based!

I'm not too sure on that one, I know its a transfer point but i dont think its a driver change point! As drivers I believe running through Rock Creek are Kelowna based, the only exception I believe is the one that does Vancouver-Osoyoos/Rock Creek and Im sure its Vancouver based!

I'm fairly certain I can name all the BC driver change points, I think the smallest place if they stiill use it as a driver change point to some extent is Cache Creek. On the Prince George-Prince Rupert run the change in Smithers, From Kelowna I believe the drivers run as far as Castelgar or Creston(one of them) then the Calgary driver takes over and runs to Calgary on the Kootenay run. Kamloops is a major driver change point as well as Kelowna and Penticton I think it still is( I know drivers end runs their, not too sure if they actually are too much of an actual driver change point). And I know obviously Prince George, Dawson Creek and Fort Nelson. Also Nanaimo,BC for the Island runs. Also Revelstoke almost forgot that one. I think I got them all :blink:

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Comp-sated!! If I where one of those passengers I'd want more then just a fre ticket to where Greyhound goes!!

I'd want at least 1 years(as many trips I wanted) free travel on Greyhound anywhere they go in Canada or the US.

If it goes to court Greyhound will loose.

The key factor is the drivers left the pasengers ion a isolated location

left their coach unattended(who knows what might of happened, passenger taking control of bus?)

Leaving them at a donut shop isn't sufficeint. The owners of the doughnut shop aren't resposible for the passengers, Greyhound is.

And I bet you anything hose drivers won't be fired either.

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The key factor is the drivers left the pasengers ion a isolated location

left their coach unattended(who knows what might of happened, passenger taking control of bus?)

Or so the passengers say. The details we have heard are not all "facts". They are mostly hearsay. And I doubt we will ever know EXACTLY what happened.

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Or so the passengers say. The details we have heard are not all "facts". They are mostly hearsay. And I doubt we will ever know EXACTLY what happened.

BUs in White River,Ont(not exactly densley populated) Driver in the Motel, No one on the bus that had anything to do with Greyhound. I would say we know what happened, thats all you need to know and for whatever like 15 hrs or something. What maybe a bus full of passengers had an illusion and went to the bermuda triangle and maybe White River grew overnight to become a populated city! THIS SHOULD NEVER HAPPEN, And its TOTALLY Greyhounds fault or is it the Drivers??? Where was the relief Driver if this was a Driver change over spot? IF highways are closed u deal with your passengers first!! Plain and simple..! I would say Greyhound is hooped and I would say theirs some drivers that should also be named in the lawsuit!! And the drivers definentley need to have disciplinary action taken against them!

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I'm not too sure on that one, I know its a transfer point but i dont think its a driver change point! As drivers I believe running through Rock Creek are Kelowna based, the only exception I believe is the one that does Vancouver-Osoyoos/Rock Creek and Im sure its Vancouver based!

I'm fairly certain I can name all the BC driver change points, I think the smallest place if they stiill use it as a driver change point to some extent is Cache Creek. On the Prince George-Prince Rupert run the change in Smithers, From Kelowna I believe the drivers run as far as Castelgar or Creston(one of them) then the Calgary driver takes over and runs to Calgary on the Kootenay run. Kamloops is a major driver change point as well as Kelowna and Penticton I think it still is( I know drivers end runs their, not too sure if they actually are too much of an actual driver change point). And I know obviously Prince George, Dawson Creek and Fort Nelson. Also Nanaimo,BC for the Island runs. Also Revelstoke almost forgot that one. I think I got them all <_<

Penticton is strictly a line termination point. There are no driver changes made there. The Kelowna drivers run as far as Creston. They used to change in Nelson but drivers complained about their hotel room being located 40 feet from an active CP Rail line so they moved the change over to Creston. Prince George is a termination point as well as Nanaimo. Passengers going by these control points change drivers and buses. And yes Cache Creek is still used as a driver change point. There is on trip where the change is made between one Vancouver driver and one Prince George driver and there is one trip that the change is made between Prince George drivers.

You are correct on your Rock Creek knowledge too. The Vancouver-Osoyoos/Rock Creek trip is driven by Vancouver drivers. All other trips through or too Rock Creek are driven by Kelowna drivers. There is no driver change made in Rock Creek.

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Penticton is strictly a line termination point. There are no driver changes made there. The Kelowna drivers run as far as Creston. They used to change in Nelson but drivers complained about their hotel room being located 40 feet from an active CP Rail line so they moved the change over to Creston. Prince George is a termination point as well as Nanaimo. Passengers going by these control points change drivers and buses. And yes Cache Creek is still used as a driver change point. There is on trip where the change is made between one Vancouver driver and one Prince George driver and there is one trip that the change is made between Prince George drivers.

You are correct on your Rock Creek knowledge too. The Vancouver-Osoyoos/Rock Creek trip is driven by Vancouver drivers. All other trips through or too Rock Creek are driven by Kelowna drivers. There is no driver change made in Rock Creek.

My mistake then, I just hearing Rock Creek in a lot driver conversations.

The driver that was in the hotel might have been out of hours for one reason or another. Dispatchers could have made a trip assignment mistake who knows. I really questioin why they stayed on the bus that long. Surely somebody with half a brain could have called directory assistance for some Greyhound contact info.

BUs in White River,Ont(not exactly densley populated) Driver in the Motel, No one on the bus that had anything to do with Greyhound. I would say we know what happened, thats all you need to know and for whatever like 15 hrs or something. What maybe a bus full of passengers had an illusion and went to the bermuda triangle and maybe White River grew overnight to become a populated city! THIS SHOULD NEVER HAPPEN, And its TOTALLY Greyhounds fault or is it the Drivers??? Where was the relief Driver if this was a Driver change over spot? IF highways are closed u deal with your passengers first!! Plain and simple..! I would say Greyhound is hooped and I would say theirs some drivers that should also be named in the lawsuit!! And the drivers definentley need to have disciplinary action taken against them!
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really questioin why they stayed on the bus that long. Surely somebody with half a brain could have called directory assistance for some Greyhound contact info.

In an earlier post it was said that they did call Greyhound, but to no avail.

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • Board Admin
January 27, 2011

Industry News

Greyhound to hire 400 operators

Greyhound Lines Inc. is accepting applications to fill more than 400 motorcoach operator positions throughout North America.

"At Greyhound, our employees take pride in transporting passengers safely throughout North America," said Victor Charles, manager of training and development, Greyhound. "Our highly trained drivers are a crucial part of our organization. Their commitment to safe operation is respected throughout the industry."

Prospective drivers must be at least 22 years of age, possess a valid driver's license, a minimum of three-years driving experience (commercial or private), good character skills, good driving record and a passion for safety.

Greyhound provides paid training and competitive benefits. For more information, click here.

Copyright © 2011 Metro Magazine. All Rights Reserved.

Source: http://www.metro-magazine.com/News/Story/2...xpress-20110127

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • Board Admin
February 7, 2011

Industry News

Man hijacks Greyhound bus

WARREN COUNTY, N.C. — Last week, a man boarded a Greyhound bus carrying 35 passengers headed to Raleigh, N.C., and, at gun point, demanded the bus driver stop the bus, examiner.com reports.

The suspect, who also may have had some sort of detonating device in his bag, allowed 33 of the 35 passengers to exit the bus before demanding the bus operator to continue driving another four miles south on I-85, before the police eventually stunned the man with a Taser when the bus stopped at a gas station on U.S. 1. For the full story, click here.

Copyright © 2011 Metro Magazine. All Rights Reserved.

Full Story: http://www.examiner.com/violent-crime-in-n...en-into-custody

Source: http://www.metro-magazine.com/News/Story/2...ursday-20110208

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  • 4 weeks later...

Greyhound has been given approval by the BC Transportation board to Eliminate Route Q the cross water Nanaimo to Vancouver service. It will operate as a connector bus, which means Greyhound can do as it pleases without going through anyone. So that means we could see them maintain their current 2 schedules on ferry and 4 pick and drop or we could see one pick and drop a day and one bus on the ferry, who knows Greyhound can do as they want, We could even see NO buses on the ferry and all pick and drop service. This is going to be a great inconvenience to many,especially seniors! Whatever Greyhound "Feels" their is a market demand for they will do it.

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