Tofino Bus Services to take over Greyhound routes on Vancouver Island

Greyhound received permission to stop bus service in several areas of B.C. this week, meaning the bus company's two remaining routes on Vancouver Island connecting Victoria to Nanaimo and Vancouver will be scrapped.

But Tofino Bus Services have announced that it willbe stepping in to serve those travellers by expanding itsroutes to include more communities.

• Greyhound to stop serving B.C.'s Highway of Tears, Yukon and Vancouver Island

Last November.the company was approved by the B.C. Passenger Transportation Board to increase its service to three times a day and add smaller communities including Duncan, Mill Bay, Chemainus, Cowichan, and Ladysmith to its schedule.

"We're hoping that when Greyhound does move off the lane that we're ready and it's as seamless as possible," said Dylan Green, president of Tofino Bus Services.

Full service

The company last expanded into Greyhound territory in 2015 when it took over service to Courtenay,Campbell River and Port Hardy.

Once Green's buses take over, the service will increase from three runs per day between Nanaimo and Victoria to four, and include an extra trip on Fridays and Sundays.

Green said the company isexcited at theopportunity to expand the capacity of itsservice.

He estimates a third of itstraffic is from passengers trying to get from northern areas of the Island down to Victoria.

The company has also taken over the Duncan bus depot to smooth the transition for riders looking to connect their routes to Greyhound buses travelling to Kelowna, Whistler, Calgary and on.

"It means that it's more seamless for us and the customer It's a good step for us to get ready for this transition and get our name out there locally," he told All Points West host Jason D'Souza.

With files from All Points West