Kasper Transportation says federal guidance needed for long-distance bus routes

The owner of a Thunder Bay, Ont. based bus line says the federal government needs to step in and make it easier for bus passengers to travel across the country.

Kasper Wabinski, the founder and owner of Kasper Transportation, said the industry was hit hard because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Most support programs offered by senior levels of government do not apply to his sector, Wabinski said.

"There's some severe challenges in connectivity when it comes to bus companies interlining," he said.

Inter-city bus services are provincially regulated, Wabinski said, meaning long-distance bus trips are inconvenient for passengers, requiring multiple tickets, poor connections, and less desirable.

Wabinski said his company has received some guidance from Thunder Bay - Rainy River MP Macrus Powlowski during the pandemic, as well as FedNor support playing a large role in supporting operations, but would like to see a long-term strategy going forward.

"Very poor software, booking systems, tickets, they're very deficient compared to what you'd expect for 2021," Wabinski said of travelling cross-country on a bus.

Wabinski said his company, along with three others in Canada, formed the Coast to Coast Bus Coalition, which will advocate the federal government for infrastructure funding to help make it easier for long-distance bus passengers. He said any funding would be welcome, noting his company has lost over $1 million in revenue, and has operated without a profit since the pandemic began.

"What we need to do is establish multiple bus carriers across the country that would work with each other, respect each other, and make sure that customers can connect from bus company to bus company seamlessly."

Wabinski said his operation spans from White River, Ont., to Winnipeg. Connections going east and west can be difficult to make and buses are the only form of public transportation in or out of the many communities served by his operation.

While passenger volumes will eventually increase, he said, bus companies are still vital, moving parcels and bringing people to medical appointments across vast areas.

He said on a regional level he hopes to have suspended routes operational within six months.