Addressed to the residents of Penticton, Keremeos and Princeton, BC

Please sign this petition to get the necessary support required to get Ebus, a bus company that operates service twice daily in each direction between Kelowna and Vancouver, to expand that service to include Penticton, Keremeos and Princeton. Penticton has not had long distance bus service since October 31st, 2018, with the demise of Greyhound in Canada. For many residents of Penticton, if one does not own a vehicle, the only other option is to fly, and this is not an affordable option for many people who reside in this region.

I have been working tirelessly for the past several months to try and get Ebus to permanently reroute one of their twice daily buses in each direction via Penticton and the Hope / Princeton Highway, I need your help to sway their decision.

This proposal would get one Vancouver bound morning run redirected through Penticton, leaving the two afternoon runs intact so that Merritt still maintains existing bus service. To be specific, I am proposing that the 9 AM departure from the West Kelowna stop reroute via Penticton, Keremeos and Princeton utilizing the Penticton Airport as the "Penticton stop." Unlike the Ebus stop in West Kelowna, which is merely a sign on the sidewalk along Highway 97, the Penticton Airport has a parking lot, indoor waiting room with chairs and washroom facilities. Transport Canada, owners of this airport, would have to grant Ebus permission to use the airport, but I do not see this as being a huge problem. Ebus currently utilizes both the Abbotsford and Kelowna Airports as stops for their services.

The suggested stop at the Penticton Airport would occur at approximately 10:15 AM to board passengers bound for the Lower Mainland with an arrival for approximately 3:45 PM at the VIA Rail train station at Main Street and Terminal Avenue in downtown Vancouver.

The morning eastbound counterpart run currently departs from the terminal in Vancouver at approximately 6:30 AM and arrives at the West Kelowna location about 11:45 AM going by way of Merritt. IF rerouted via the Hope/Princeton Highway the trip would arrive at the Penticton Airport at approximately 11:45 AM.

These proposed times are estimates, however Ebus has had to detour these buses a multitude of times via the Hope/Princeton Highway when the Coquihalla Highway has been out of commission, and the run times are based on those situations. Ebus has indicated to me that one of their reasons for not wanting to reroute is due to the fact that the running time between Vancouver and Kelowna extends by approximately one hour and 15 minutes when detouring on Highways 3 and 97. This is true, however Greyhound ran 4 buses per day for many years and 2 buses per day after the Coquihala Connector was completed. Our residents deserve at least the one bus in each direction that I am proposing.

I have seen local Facebook groups with strangers looking for rides to Vancouver. This is something that is clearly not a safe option and this change could avoid these situations.

Folks, I cannot make this happen without your help and moral backing to make this a reality. Please take a few minutes to read and sign this petition which I am prepared to take to local and provincial representatives. With your help and with public pressure, I am hoping we can change their minds.