Quantcast
Channel: greyhound – NEWS 1130
Viewing all 49 articles
Browse latest View live

BC Ferries unhappy with new Greyhound policy

0
0

VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – Greyhound bus passengers who want to travel to Vancouver Island by BC Ferries now have fewer options.

That’s because of a new unloading policy implemented in the past few weeks. The buses used to board the ferry fully loaded, but now Greyhound wants to drop its passengers off at the terminal so they can board as walk-ons.

Mark Stefanson with BC Ferries says “That’s not acceptable… because all of a sudden, we have 60 people arriving with their luggage dropped off at our terminals – at both Horseshoe Bay and Departure Bay – and it’s just not working for our customers who are also coming to [the terminals] as well.”

Until an agreement is worked out, Greyhound has cut back its service from six crossings per day to two. We’re still waiting for a comment from Greyhound.


Fatal Greyhound crash near Fernie

0
0

FERNIE (NEWS1130) – One person is dead and at least two others have serious injuries after a Greyhound bus crash on Highway 3 near Fernie.  The crash happened around 4 a.m.

Maureen Richmond with Greyhound tells News1130 the bus was going from Calgary to Creston.

RCMP Corporal Annie Linteau says a woman driving east crossed the centre line and collided with the bus.  She died.

Linteau says there were seven people on the bus including the driver who has “serious injuries [and] possibly a second passenger of the bus sustained serious injuries.”

Richmond adds Greyhound has sent their members to the scene to investigate.  RCMP Traffic analysts are also there trying to figure out what happened.

Highway 3 east of Elko was been shut down briefly but was re-opened shortly after 9 a.m.
   
For up to the minute Traffic updates, you can follow us on Twitter @News1130Traffic or subscribe to breaking news alerts sent directly to your inbox. We also have traffic reports every ten minutes on the ones.

Risk of TB for people who took bus to Kelowna last month

0
0

VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – The BC Centre for Disease Control is trying to track down some Greyhound bus passengers who were travelling from Vancouver to Kelowna in mid-October. There is a very slim chance they may have been exposed to tuberculosis.

“Most people on the bus would have posed a very small risk, but everyone gets tuberculosis from someone else, so the risk is there. Obviously, the closer the person was to the person with tuberculosis, the bigger the risk,” explains Dr. Kevin Elwood.

“You’d have to be pretty unlucky to get tuberculosis from this exposure, but [the risk] is not zero,” he notes, adding there is no health risk to the genearl population.

The person who originally had the disease is being treated in hospital.

The bus in question travelled from Vancouver to Kelowna on October 11th; it also made stops in Coquitlam, Langley, the Fraser Valley, Merritt and Westbank.

“Unfortunately, Greyhound doesn’t have a passenger list,” Elwood tells us. “So… for us to contact people, the only way to do it is to alert through the media.”

If you believe you were on this bus, you can call HealthLink BC at 8-1-1.

Passenger aboard Greyhound bus dies en-route

0
0

KAMLOOPS (NEWS1130) – People taking a Greyhound bus from Calgary to Vancouver yesterday were riding with a dead guy for a long time.
    
No one noticed until the driver started cleaning up the bus during a stop in Kamloops.
    
“It looks like he had been deceased for several hours,” says coroner Mark Coleman.  

“In all likelihood we’ll have to wait until we get the final autopsy report to determine cause of death, which will have all of the toxicology information.  That usually is a couple months or more down the road.

Police aren’t treating the 31-year-old man’s death as suspicious.

“As far as I’m aware, there was nothing of concern,” Coleman added.  “There certainly was no indication of anything untoward.”

Massive bus fire snarls traffic going into Okanagan

0
0

MERRITT (NEWS1130) – A massive bus fire on the Coquihalla Connector has snarled traffic going into the Okanagan.

A Greyhound bus caught fire on the 97C near the Loon Lake Hill about midway between Merritt and Kelowna around one this afternoon.    

Star commuter Mike gave us a call from the road to say he saw flames shooting out of the bus.

“At least 20, 25 feet in the air, a lot of smoke,” he says. “I think people were thinking about going around it but then there was an explosion, either a gas tank or something in the back of the bus.”

It appears all the passengers are fine, but pictures show the bus is nothing more than a burned shell.

Proposal to cut Greyhound’s service now in board’s hands

0
0

VICTORIA (NEWS1130) – We should know by the end of January whether Greyhound will be able to cut services to 15 of its 19 routes in BC.

The decision is now in the hands of the Passenger Transportation Board.

The board has received about 160 comments from businesses, civic leaders and passengers over the controversial idea, which would slash some Greyhound runs by half.

Board director Jan Broocke admits the application is an extensive one. “We’ve never had an application from Greyhound where they’ve applied for service changes on as many routes,” she explains.

She says the board has to weigh two factors.

“Basically the board considers what level of service will meet public need. Another thing the board will look at is the financial health of the applicant.”

And the financial health of Greyhound is a prime reason why the company wants to reduce service.

It lost $14 million on its BC routes last year alone, mostly because of higher fuel costs and reduced ridership.

But mayors in the Interior, the north and on Vancouver Island say people in more remote areas of the province rely heavily on Greyhound services.

Greyhound gets go ahead to slash service

0
0

TERRACE (NEWS1130) – News that Greyhound is going to be able to drastically cut service throughout the province comes as a particular disappointment for mayors along the so-called Highway of Tears.

That route is where numerous women have disappeared over the years.

Mayors along Highway 16 had banded together to try to stop Greyhound’s plans, which were submitted to, and ultimately approved by, the Passenger Transportation Board.

Service between Prince Rupert and Prince George is about to be cut in half.

Terrace‘s mayor David Pernarowski says they were hoping Greyhound would have left those routes alone.

“This area needs to be looked at differently. Greyhound needs to consider the history of the highway between Prince George and Prince Rupert,” he insists.

He points out businesses rely on Greyhound to transport goods.

“Having any reduction in service, particularly with all the economic development that’s happening up here right now and over next few years, the timing might be a little bit off for Greyhound to make this decision.”

Already concerned about the dangers of hitchhiking, Smithers council has proposed some sort of shuttle service to link the towns.

Greyhound successfully convinced the Passenger Transportation Board that since it was bleeding $14 million a year on BC routes, it was time to reduce service.

Vince Li granted increased day trips from hospital

0
0

WINNIPEG – A man found not criminally responsible for beheading a fellow passenger on a Greyhound bus in Manitoba has been granted some further privileges.

The Criminal Code Review Board has ruled that Vince Li can go on more escorted day trips from the mental hospital where he is in custody.

Li was already allowed short escorted visits into nearby Selkirk, but  soon will be able to make supervised, full-day trips to Lockport and Winnipeg and nearby beaches.

The board also says Li can have unsupervised visits on the grounds of the Selkirk Mental Health Centre.

Li’s psychiatrist has said the 45-year-old hasn’t had hallucinations in more than a year and is a low risk to re-offend.

Li was an undiagnosed schizophrenic when he stabbed and beheaded Tim McLean and ate parts of his body in July 2008.


Man who beheaded a bus passenger granted unescorted trips

0
0

WINNIPEG (NEWS1130) – A man who beheaded a fellow passenger on a Greyhound bus in Manitoba has been granted the right to leave his mental hospital without an escort.

The Criminal Code Review Board is allowing Vince LI unsupervised outings from the Selkirk Mental Health Centre into the nearby city of Selkirk. The outings are to start at 30 minutes and increase to full-day trips.

Until now, Li has only been allowed to leave the hospital with security guards or staff members.

Li is also allowed to visit Lockport, Winnipeg and area beaches, but those outings must continue to be supervised.

He was found not criminally responsible for stabbing and beheading Tim McLean, a young carnival worker, on a bus in July 2008.

Greyhound bus goes off the road in Alberta, injuring 21 people

0
0

JASPER (NEWS1130) – Numerous injuries are being reported after a Greyhound bus drove off a highway near Jasper, Alberta.

The company says 21 people were sent to the hospital, including the bus driver.

The bus was en route from Prince George to Edmonton.

Greyhound says there were 36 people on board.

Passengers who were not injured were taken to the town’s fire hall to keep warm until another bus picked them up.

Three people seriously hurt in Greyhound bus crash in BC Interior

0
0

HIXON (NEWS 1130) – Three people have been taken to hospital after a crash this morning involving a Greyhound bus travelling to Prince George from Kamloops.

It happened at around 8 a.m. near Hixon, south of Prince George.

“There were eight customers on board, plus the driver,” says Lanesha Gipson, who speaks for Greyhound. “There have been three injuries reported. Those three customers have been taken to a local hospital.”

“We are looking at everything from the time the bus left to the time the incident occurred,” she adds.

They were seriously hurt. The other six people have minor injuries.

Greyhound says it’s cooperating with police, and the company will also carry out its own investigation.

Investigation launched after teen girls kicked off bus at Valemount

0
0

VICTORIA (NEWS 1130) – BC’s transportation minister says it’s unacceptable that two young girls were left at a remote gas station by a Greyhound bus driver over the weekend. The Passenger Transportation Board has opened an investigation.

The 12 and 16-year-old girls were kicked off their bus from Prince George to Alberta after the driver discovered their tickets were expired. They were left at Greyhound’s stop at a gas station in Valemount after 3:30 a.m. The girls were told to wait there until the next bus arrived. A family friend drove through the night to reach the girls.

Transportation Minister Todd Stone says they will get to the bottom of this. “I’ve got to tell you, as someone with three young daughters of my own, I just cannot imagine finding out that my children were potentially left on the side of the road in the middle of the night because of a ticket not being valid.”

The province announced several safety upgrades for the Highway of Tears last year and Stone adds announcements on the implementation of those will be coming soon.

In a statement, Greyhound says the facility where the girls were left is staffed 24/7 and they were monitored the entire time they were waiting. It adds, they would’ve allowed the girls to continue the trip if the bus for the next leg hadn’t been fully booked.

Freedom granted to man who beheaded passenger on Greyhound bus

0
0

WINNIPEG (NEWS1130) – A man who was found not criminally responsible for beheading and cannibalizing a fellow passenger on a Greyhound bus has been granted his freedom.

Manitoba’s Criminal Code Review Board has given Will Baker, formerly known as Vince Li, an absolute discharge, meaning he is no longer subject to monitoring.

Baker, a diagnosed schizophrenic, killed Tim McLean, a young carnival worker who was a complete stranger to Baker, in 2008.

Baker was initially kept in a secure wing of a psychiatric hospital but was given more freedom every year.

He has been living on his own in a Winnipeg apartment since November, but was still subject to monitoring to ensure he took his medication.

His doctor told the review board earlier this week that Baker has been a good patient and knows the importance of continuing to take his medication.

In a written decision, the review board said it “is of the opinion that the weight of evidence does not substantiate that Mr. Baker poses a significant threat to the safety of the public.”

Schizophrenia: What the experts say as Greyhound bus beheader wins release

0
0

WINNIPEG (NEWS1130) – A man who was in the throws of a psychotic episode when he beheaded a fellow Greyhound bus passenger has received an absolute discharge from the Criminal Code Review Board.

The move means Will Baker, formerly known as Vince Li, is no longer subject to any monitoring. Baker has been receiving treatment for schizophrenia since being found not criminally responsible in the death of Tim McLean. Baker’s condition is a complex one that experts say is not always well understood.

Here are a few facts about schizophrenia:

What is it?

Experts say schizophrenia, which literally means separated from reality, is a blanket term given to a family of mental illnesses. Dr. David Bloom, chief of the psychotic disorders program at Montreal’s Douglas Institute, likens the variety of schizophrenias to the various types of cancer that exist. Bloom says not all causes are known, but elevated dopamine levels in the brain are directly involved in most.

How common is it?

The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health says about one per cent of the population has the disease. Schizophrenia affects men and women equally, although symptoms tend to manifest themselves in men somewhat earlier — in their teens and 20s.

What are the key symptoms?

Symptoms tend to be consistent across the various types of schizophrenia, experts say. The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health says there are two categories of symptoms — positive and negative. People showing positive symptoms can experience delusions, hallucinations and disorganized thoughts. Negative symptoms include lack of motivation, loss of interest in the feelings of others and reduced physical activity.

Is there a cure?

Experts agree no cure has been found, but some say medical advances can help keep the condition under control and allow people to lead full lives. They stress, however, that timely treatment is important.

What are the available treatments?

“Three-quarters of the patients will do quite well on quite standard anti-psychotic medications,” says Bloom, who adds most of those work by lowering or blocking dopamine in the brain. There are some schizophrenic patients who do not respond to such treatments because their dopamine levels are in check. Patients are also urged to tap into other treatments such as cognitive behaviour therapy and psycho-educational services. Bloom says forgoing psychological services is akin to undergoing a successful hip replacement but declining to follow up with physiotherapy.

Are there side effects?

Bloom says anti-psychotic medication can have very serious side effects that deter people from continuing treatment. These vary by medication but can include feeling sedated, mentally sluggish or “dead inside.” Physical symptoms also include tremors and muscle cramps, as well as sexual side effects.

Can patients stop their medication safely?

Not in most cases. Bloom compares schizophrenics to diabetics who are dependent on insulin for life. “For a schizophrenic-type illness, the chances of relapse are, not perhaps 100 per cent, but pretty close to 100 per cent.”

Students in northern BC worried about proposed Greyhound cuts

0
0

PRINCE GEORGE (NEWS 1130) – University students in northern BC are just learning about the elimination of service Greyhound is proposing for various routes in that region. And without bus service to their hometowns, many students might not be able to go home as often as they want.

Greyhound is proposing to completely eliminate service between Prince George and Prince Rupert and Prince George and Dawson Creek. The company wants to ax nine routes in BC, six of them in northern BC as the company deals with plunging ridership. The routes that would be eliminated include the 718-kilometre run along Highway 16, the so-called Highway of Tears.

Karista Olson is the Aboriginal Representative on the Student Society at the University of BC.

Her home is near Hazelton, which is near the new BC Transit route, but she points out it’s a service that doesn’t run every day. “If I’m not able to line-up another student who’s going then my other option really is to just not go home. And when you come from a small tight-knit community that can be really impactful on a student’s well-being.”

The BC Transit service along Highway 16 was launched in response to the number of aboriginal women who’ve gone missing on the highway over the last few decades. The fare is only $5 from Prince George to Burns Lake, but that service is only offered Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Service is also offered between Burns Lake and Smithers Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

Olson says the proposed changes with Greyhound will impact many people who rely on the service. “Even beyond those of us who are students. When I think of my home communities and how many people that still rely on hitch-hiking.”

British Columbians have until October 13th to comment through the Passenger Transportation Board.


Greyhound calls for BC solution to remote transportation challenges

0
0

PRINCE GEORGE (NEWS 1130) — Four months after making a request to the B.C. Transportation Board to drop several routes, Greyhound Canada believes it has the solution to save inter-city bus service in rural areas.

The transportation provider is asking the B.C. government to create what it calls a Connecting Communities Fund.

“We’re drawing this directly from the U.S., where Greyhound does draw from this type of funding,” says Peter Hamil, Greyhound V.P. for Western Canada.

“The federal government allocates a certain portion of their transportation funding to rural communities. The issue here is there is no specific rural community fund.”

Hamil says they are not looking for a direct subsidy, adding that the transportation company might not even benefit from their request.

The fund would be made available to Municipalities and First Nations to seek bids from different transportation providers for inter-city routes.

“This is a general funding model that we believe is something that has to be done in order to make rural transportation sustainable,” says Hamil.

Greyhound has faced challenges in recent years, with diminishing ridership, escalating costs and the challenge of competing against government-subsidized fares. Greyhound has filed an application with the B.C. Passenger Transportation Board to eliminate service on five routes in British Columbia that have experienced a 51 per cent reduction.

Hamil says provincial and federal governments spend billions on urban transit services and B.C.’s rural communities deserve transportation investments too.

The post Greyhound calls for BC solution to remote transportation challenges appeared first on NEWS 1130.

Greyhound cutting several routes across BC

0
0

KELOWNA (NEWS 1130) – BC’s Passenger Transportation Board is allowing Greyhound to cut several bus routes around the province, including point-of-service stops between Kamloops and Kelowna.

Points of service that will be eliminated on June 1 include Monte Lake, Westwold, Falkland and Oyama on the Kamloops to Kelowna route.

Greyhound is also allowed to eliminate seven routes in the province effective June 1st, in a bid to address a 51 per cent drop in ridership. Routes, including Vancouver to Victoria and Vancouver to Whistler, will also stop running at the end of May.

BC’s Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Claire Trevena has issued a statement expressing her disappointment with the reduced routes.

Greyhound’s decision to cut service in northern and interior British Columbia is unfortunate. People rely on Greyhound’s long-haul, inter-city bus service to get to and from major cities.

Eliminating and reducing service along rural and remote routes will leave people vulnerable, particularly Indigenous communities, women, seniors, children and those living with disabilities.

In the coming weeks, I will be speaking to local elected officials, First Nations and others affected by Greyhound’s upcoming service changes, so we can deliver long-term solutions that work for everyone.

It is vital that people throughout the province have access to safe, reliable and affordable transportation. In the short term, my ministry will be working with Greyhound to ensure buses remain running as we work with communities to develop long-term, viable solutions that address people’s needs.

We will be working closely with communities to find safe, reliable and affordable long-haul ground transportation — particularly in the North — to ensure continued bus service remains in place for those who depend on it.

Less than a year ago, the province brought in bus service to connect communities along Highway 16, also known as The Highway of Tears.

The post Greyhound cutting several routes across BC appeared first on NEWS 1130.

Vince Li granted increased day trips from hospital

0
0

WINNIPEG – A man found not criminally responsible for beheading a fellow passenger on a Greyhound bus in Manitoba has been granted some further privileges.

The Criminal Code Review Board has ruled that Vince Li can go on more escorted day trips from the mental hospital where he is in custody.

Li was already allowed short escorted visits into nearby Selkirk, but  soon will be able to make supervised, full-day trips to Lockport and Winnipeg and nearby beaches.

The board also says Li can have unsupervised visits on the grounds of the Selkirk Mental Health Centre.

Li’s psychiatrist has said the 45-year-old hasn’t had hallucinations in more than a year and is a low risk to re-offend.

Li was an undiagnosed schizophrenic when he stabbed and beheaded Tim McLean and ate parts of his body in July 2008.

The post Vince Li granted increased day trips from hospital appeared first on NEWS 1130.

Man who beheaded a bus passenger granted unescorted trips

0
0

WINNIPEG (NEWS1130) – A man who beheaded a fellow passenger on a Greyhound bus in Manitoba has been granted the right to leave his mental hospital without an escort.

The Criminal Code Review Board is allowing Vince LI unsupervised outings from the Selkirk Mental Health Centre into the nearby city of Selkirk. The outings are to start at 30 minutes and increase to full-day trips.

Until now, Li has only been allowed to leave the hospital with security guards or staff members.

Li is also allowed to visit Lockport, Winnipeg and area beaches, but those outings must continue to be supervised.

He was found not criminally responsible for stabbing and beheading Tim McLean, a young carnival worker, on a bus in July 2008.

The post Man who beheaded a bus passenger granted unescorted trips appeared first on NEWS 1130.

Greyhound bus goes off the road in Alberta, injuring 21 people

0
0

JASPER (NEWS1130) – Numerous injuries are being reported after a Greyhound bus drove off a highway near Jasper, Alberta.

The company says 21 people were sent to the hospital, including the bus driver.

The bus was en route from Prince George to Edmonton.

Greyhound says there were 36 people on board.

Passengers who were not injured were taken to the town’s fire hall to keep warm until another bus picked them up.

The post Greyhound bus goes off the road in Alberta, injuring 21 people appeared first on NEWS 1130.

Viewing all 49 articles
Browse latest View live




Latest Images