A local bus operator has suspended its Selkirk-to-Winnipeg route, saying the route isn’t sustainable without having a local, provincial or federal partnership.
Kasper Transportation, based in Thunder Bay, Ont., had been offering the route since expanding into Manitoba in 2017.
In a statement on social media Tuesday, Kasper said the route had been shut down until further notice.
“We apologize for the inconvenience at this time. This will allow us to focus our financial resources on existing routes and improvements,” the statement said.
“Manitoba’s provincial government has a policy in place to not work with private operators on any form of assistance, partnerships, or subsidies. The City of Selkirk has made it clear they are also not interested in supporting this service for their local community.
“If we can establish positive results with the Federal government we will be reopening the route.”
Kasper was the third bus line to attempt to provide service to the route in as many years.
It follows in the footsteps of Exclusive Bus Lines, which lasted a little more than a year on the route, and Beaver Bus Lines, which pulled its buses in 2016 after decades of service to the area.
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