Twenty-one senators from the Maritimes are urging the federal government to provide financial assistance to an inter-city bus service that they say is in financial peril because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The senators have sent a letter to federal Transport Minister Omar Alghabra, saying Maritime Bus provides an essential service to the health-care sector by transporting blood products and patients across the region.
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As well, they say the service is particularly important for smaller rural towns and the francophone communities in northern New Brunswick.
The company has already requested support from the governments of Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.
However, the senators say Maritime Bus is not eligible for various federal support programs, mainly because it is a for-profit enterprise.
The senators also note that Ottawa provided direct funding for Greyhound when it abandoned bus routes in Western Canada.