To the editor,
Re: Duncan-Nanaimo bus route provides more than 30,000 rides in first year, July 25.
Thank you for providing a bus from Ladysmith to Nanaimo as this essential service is majorly needed. I am perplexed, however, by the exorbitant fare. At $7.50 per ride it is twice the highest fare I could find on the internet for public transit in Canada. I can ride the buses all day long in Nanaimo, Duncan, Victoria, and even Vancouver for a mere $5 for a day pass, but the 70 NCX costs an outrageous fare, with no day pass or semester pass for students either.
Also, the two-way commute for a student is very long.
The amount of daily routes is extremely limited, not to mention the bus stops only once in Ladysmith – good luck if you live on the other side of town. My child leaves at 6:30 a.m. to catch the 7 a.m. bus for an 8:30 a.m. class. On the return trip at 4 p.m., the only available bus is at 5:40 p.m., arriving in Ladysmith at 6:15 p.m. – don’t miss this bus or you’ll be stranded in Nanaimo. This is neither economical in time or money. It would be cheaper and more time effective to car pool or perhaps even drive a vehicle. The current fare is quite possibly the most expensive 22 kilometres of road in Canada – I googled it.
We desperately and urgently need a reasonably priced express bus to VIU, granting frequent, adequate access to higher education to the youth community of Ladysmith and surrounding area. We need to support and encourage our students in their pursuit of knowledge and bettering themselves for society. This fare is not fair.
Miranda Biggs Touchie, Ladysmith
The views and opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are those of the writer and do not reflect the views of Black Press Media or the Nanaimo News Bulletin.
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