Minister John Baird called it like it was when he branded Greyhound’s strategy of demanding money for continuing northern bus routes a “shake down and heavy handed.” Greyhound has long been known to put down any attempts by companies trying to provide competition to them.
In 2000, they went to the Ontario Highway Transport Board and won their case to have carpooling company Allo-Stop cease their services. In November 2006, Greyhound went again to the the OHTB and they ruled that Student Transportation of Canada (nicknamed Fed Bus) could not offer what they believed to be a charter service and reasonably priced fares for students.
Ironically Greyhound and other bus company’s route monopolies are supported and promoted in Ontario by the prehistoric Ontario Highway Transport Board Act and equally antiquated Public Vehicles Act.
The application process to the OHTB to obtain a route licence is clearly biased against having competition and for conserving route monopolies. It is ridiculous that only one bus company, Greyhound, is allowed exclusive access to Highway 401 westbound into Toronto to run commuter bus service into downtown Toronto. Why does the public not have a choice of what bus company they want to take on our public highways? Why are other bus companies not allowed to run competitively against each other?.
This bus monopoly transit nightmare reminds me all too much of the Bell Canada fiasco. For decades Bell controlled the phone industry in Ontario and no competition was allowed. Some journalists have suggested no regulation or deregulation of the passenger bus industry.That would be wrong and the public’s safety could be at risk. However it is long overdue to revise, update and renew the Ontario Highway Transport Board Act and Public Vehicles Act.
Immediate changes can be made to the criteria the Ontario Highway Transport Board uses to determine “public necessity and convenience” when issuing bus route licences.
A win recently happened when the Ontario Liberal provincial government changed the definition of carpooling in the Public Vehicles Act by passing Bill118. This was the result of the public lobbying to save PickUpPal, a ride sharing group. Their lobbying showed how outdated the current Public Vehicles Act is. Read Background Document. Thankfully the provincial Liberals ignored the Ontario Highway Transportation Board ruling and changed the legislation. Further substantial change is needed.
On January 17th, 2010, Greyhound will further reduce/eliminate services to small town Ontario, yet still maintain their monoply bus service on the HighWay#401. It is time for change. It is time Greyhound ask their multinational owner Scotland based FirstGroup for the money not the taxpayers of Canada.
Test comment.