Greyhound
 

I'm no trucker or hot shot kinda guy but would this not be a boon for the small business sector?

Again, I do not know the logistics involved, but if a small scale operation moving 'boxes' upscaled with a short bus per say, would this not be proactive in closing a gap?

I understand fuel costs are certainly prohibitive, but what think you?

Can a class 4 also transport cartage or is it a people mover only? I have no skin in this, just thinking from an investment viewpoint.

Was thinking the same thing.

IMO you might be able to find a niche in specific locations but on a large scale, I don’t think that anyone is chomping at the bit to replace Greyhound. I honestly don’t think that there’s any money in moving parcels but people on an as required basis in specific locations might generate enough revenue to survive.

If greyhound couldn't make a run of it - how would you suggest changing the business model to make it profitable??

I'm sure they didn't just throw their hands up without going over this very question once or twice...:scared0018:

Both last comments have merit (Sorry HunterDave and Red, I don't know how to dual quote)

The people moving is the actual query.

GH is a large bus org that integrated a cargo trailer to make it worth it's while.

A small org that adds a small people mover a la casino run is where I'm thinking. Localized runs within it's normal scope.

GH is geared at a continental level.

I simply think this way because I think.

Amended to add:

I think that Veterans tend to not stray far from where they last served, my thought alone.

Even though I am of the First Nation, I do not know every individual need of movement, as I was not raised in a closed environment.

I only understand overlapping coverage of support.

Greyhound cut service here in 2011. Several independent outfits have tried to make a go of providing passenger service from here to Edmonton over the years since. None have been successful.

But have any entrepreneurs picked up the freight side of it or is your area not in need of much for freight service for the most part?

Good example of corporate greed. Only keep the high cashflow routes. What happened to the "Service" part of running a business. I would kick them out of Canada and not al/ow them to cherry pick routes.

Thank God and Greyhound She's gone. Hope is fading fast.

I was always told there only two good things that come out of the East. The sun and a empty bus.

:lol:

You got THAT right! Not to mention planes.


As for greyhound - I heard on the news that a lotta Indigenous folks might be deprived of transportation; as well as women in small towns wanting to escape from abusive relationships.

I got a chuckle when I read Halfbreed's original post. I suppose some people think like Halfbreed and Dave........................... and some people think like this guy:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince...vice-1.4741937


FWIW, I think Halfbreed is on the right track here.

Oh yes the freight side has several options, they were here when Greyhound was and still are. Highway 9, Rocket express, Purolator, Loomis, etc etc. Plenty of local hotshot delivery services, trucking companies galore. Just nothing here for Passenger service.

Unless it is run by the gov't or at least subsidized by gov't nobody is going to take on runs to lose money. Perhaps you could provide a bus service to Drayton Valley here, Greyhound dropped off and picked up about 4 passengers a week out here, perhaps starting a bus service out here would be a good investment opportunity for you. To provide really good service you could probably stop and pick up the odd hitchiker along the way too.......

Ride sharing isn't a popular thing in Western Canada.

Greyhound moved freight to subsidize the passenger business. In recent years they contracted the local P&D service out, concentrated on the over the road.

Fuel costs, maintenance, wages all took a toll. I feel for those who did rely on the bus to get to the city for appointments etc.

There are so many carriers out there providing small package and next day service ( when they get it right), that the package business Greyhound had will be absorbed before you know it.

BW

The NDP is already badgering the Libs for government subsidization. Great! Now we can pay for the average Greyhound rider's monthly income and their vehicle payments. Maybe Trudeau can use the buses to get his oil from Alberta to the coast until he finishes his pipeline.
I personally feel if a business can't succeed as a business, it should't be on the tax payers backs. We already have Bombardier for that.

They were a great option for shipping car parts, wheels etc that are otherwise cost prohibitive to ship, I'll miss that. It's not really that surprising they don't make money off the rural routes, they also have regional competition in Alberta on the Calgary - Red Deer - Edmonton corridor. (I would way rather take Red Arrow than grey hound fwiw). Also, because of the distances between major cities, most people would rather fly ~1 hour then sit for 10 hours on the greyhound to save some money. :)

I am one that utilized the service for car parts. Now I see the Gov't wants to seatbelt the industry. It is now making more sense why they want out. The regular joe like me is unaware of the bigger picture until the curtain falls. GH is out due to regulation on top of lack of ridership in the west. Regulation I suppose is a good thing, seatbelts save lives so to speak.

Its not Greyhounds fault that fuel prices has risen sharply and theyre seeing declining numbers on the bus. If the bus line was feasible they'd keep it. In saying that if it can be done there's now a huge opportunity for another carrier to come in and take Greyhounds market share. Maybe Red Arrow does overnights to Vancouver, Saskatoon, and Winnipeg. Will be interesting to see what happens.

I thought Greyhounds biggest competition was West jet. For passengers they were more expensive and it was freight that actually paid their bills. The freight business has become very competitive and those buses just are not efficient movers of freight. It is probably of no surprise to the management of Greyhound as they have seen it coming for quite some time.

Lannie, a greyhound bus is very efficient. The similar cummins diesel engine in my Ram truck and only carries one chubby hunter. In a bus it will move 50 passengers including freight. Cost per passenger mile very low!

I think the assumption here is that the greyhounds are full of passengers. I don’t have their ridership numbers, but I would expect that they are low based on the cancellation of the routes.


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Apples and oranges. You are equating the costs of a $500,000 dollar passenger bus, it's expensive liability insurance, fuel, maintenance and inspection mechanics wages, drivers wages, bus station employees wages, dispatch, administration, buildings, bus depot rent or mortgages, taxes etc that all have to be paid by passenger fares collected in comparison to you driving your personal diesel pick up..no busses don't get 25 miles per gallon.

They are probably good on fuel but with few riders the costs would be quite high. The bus is an inefficient way of hauling that small frieght trailer. Driver cost plus bus cost and operating cost of bus would be quite large without enough riders to pay costs of bus. Greyhound would never vacate western Canada if they had 50 passengers on the Bus.

They were saying on the radio today that the nail in the coffin was that little beheading that went on. Apparently ridership dropped fast after that.

For anyone looking for a business model it would be a ride sharing app for folks who want to either drive others or jump in with others. I know when I go places I'd gladly have someone sharing the gas if I could find them.