Bus service to Tk'emlups reserve to launch in 2018

After years of waiting and lobbying, public transit is finally in the works for the Tk'emlups reserve.

"It's huge," said Tk'emlups Indian Band Chief Fred Seymour. "The impacts will greatly help out our members … to get them off to work and school and doctor appointments."

The new bus route out to the reserve is set to launch in September 2018. The buses will be "light duty," meaning they'll have capacity for 20 to 30 passengers.

Under the terms of the agreement, the band will have to pay 53 per cent of the annual operating costs which amounts to $150,000. The provincial government will cover the rest.

"I know this has been a service that people have been requesting for a period of time," said B.C. Transit spokesperson Jonathon Dyck.

B.C. Transit will be asking the public what kind of route would be most appropriate for the area and what schedule would be convenient.

Until now, Seymour said having no public transit on the reserve has created barriers for the people living there.

"They've been carpooling," he said. "With winter coming, it's kind of been a hassle for the students to cross the river to get to town."

With files from Daybreak Kamloops