Residents of Osoyoos, Princeton, Keremeos and Rock Creek could soon have a new option to bus to the coast or the Kootenays.
Kaslo resident Michael Hathaway is proposing the new bus line in the wake of Greyhound’s departure from western Canada last fall.
“I feel that Greyhound stepping out has caused a trickle-down effect for a lot of the small communities along this corridor just because access to travel has been reduced,” Hathaway said.
“In Kaslo, it has been noticed and also in Nelson a lot of the sales have slumped at a lot of businesses and it’s because people have to either fly out here or drive out here, which are two rather expensive options.”
So Hathaway has applied to the Passenger Transportation Board to offer two routes: one connecting the Kootenays with Alberta and another linking the southern Interior to Vancouver.
Hathaway’s proposal calls for the route to Vancouver to start in Kaslo and move through the Kootenays before following Highway 3 through Rock Creek, Osoyoos, Keremeos and Princeton to the coast.
Residents along the Highway 3 corridor have raised concerns in the past about the lack of transportation options along the route.
A unique aspect of Hathaway’s proposal is that he plans to operate his bus mainly on vegetable oil reclaimed from the deep fryers of local restaurants.
He said he has been experimenting with fry oil-powered vehicles for around five years and has collected thousands of litres of vegetable oil.
Hathaway said the bus would have two fuel tanks, allowing it to switch to diesel fuel if needed. The diesel would also be required to start up the bus and to turn it off.
The father of four said he plans to buy a 20-passenger bus at auction later this month and drive the Vancouver to Kaslo route himself.
If he gets the go-ahead from the Passenger Transportation Board, he anticipates being operational within two months.