56% of Canadians say government should step in to maintain rural bus routes (POLL)

An Angus Reid Institute study shows a slim majority of Canadians are in favour of the government stepping in to maintain rural and northern bus services, after Greyhound Canada announced that it would no longer service routes in Western Canada starting this October.

56% say the government “should step in to maintain rural and northern bus services, they are vital to communities,” while 44% said “it should not be up to government to maintain these services, private businesses can fill the gaps if there is enough demand.”

Six-in-ten Canadians (60%) expressed support for a federally funded bus service, with slightly more (64%) supporting a provincially funded one.

The Angus Reid Institute also found that while Canadians are in broad support for some sort of government intervention, only 5% said they would be personally affected by Greyhound’s decision to stop service.

Read the entire Angus Reid Institute study here.

Greyhound cancellation criticized by many

Greyhound said its decision to pull out of Western Canada was due to the decreasing financial viability of maintaining routes in those areas.

But politicians and citizens alike have said the withdrawal of service will leave vulnerable communities who use Greyhound at risk.

Shortly after Greyhound’s announcement, NDP leader Jagmeet Singh called on the federal government to fund a plan that would stop the cancellations.

There is also a growing call from grassroots organizations for people to organize public demonstrations in support of nationalized bus routes, with events already planned in the Calgary area.

See also:

• Greyhound Canada will no longer provide bus services in B.C.