Prince George – Members of the media, local politicians, and key stakeholders had an opportunity to get behind the wheel of a transit bus in the Prince George Bus Roadeo.
The event was a celebration of 40 years of BC Transit service in Prince George, in partnership with the Province of B.C., the City of Prince George and Pacific Western Transportation.
The Bus Roadeo offered participants, a majority of whom have no commercial driving experience, the chance to drive a 35-foot transit bus in a closed course with a professional driver trainer. The course tested participants’ ability to turn right and left, rear wheel obstacle, and diminishing distance. Participants’ scores are available at the end of this media release.
“The Prince George Bus ‘Roadeo’ is a fun way of reminding us of the critical role public transportation has played in the development of Prince George as a city,” says City of Prince George Mayor Lyn Hall. “Providing transit really is an essential service for thousands of residents and, as I can now tell you from first-hand experience, driving these buses takes a lot of skill! On behalf of Council, I would like to thank BC Transit and Pacific Western Transportation for continuing to work with us to make first-rate, reliable, and safe transportation readily available for all residents.”
BC Transit started serving Prince George on November 6, 1978, with eight routes and a three-zone fare system. The adult single-zone fare was 35 cents, and a three-zone fare was 75 cents.
A lot has changed in the system since those early days. Some key milestones over the years include the introduction of the U-PASS at the University of Northern B.C. and the College of New Caledonia, the introduction of weekend and holiday service and improved service frequency.
Today, the conventional system consists of 16 routes, 27 buses and 66,000 service hours, and carries.9 million passengers a year.
handyDART, which provides door-to-door service for registered customers, has seven buses and 14,000 service hour. It carries 67,000 passengers a year.
“Over the years, the City of Prince George has always worked hard to find innovative ways to grow and develop their transit service,” said Erinn Pinkerton, BC Transit Interim President and Chief Executive Officer. “We look forward to our ongoing partnership in bringing effective, efficient transportation to the community.”
For more details about the Prince George Transit System, please visit BCTransit.com/Prince-George.
Media Contact
Jonathon Dyck
Communications Manager
BC Transit
250-995-5720
media@bctransit.com
Certificate Recipients – Overall winner and obstacle winners
Best Overall Score
Val Hunsaker, Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure
Best Right Turn
Tara Jones, Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure
Best Left Turn
City of Prince George Mayor Lyn Hall
Best Right Rear Tire Clearance
Tara Jones, Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure
Best Diminishing Clearance
Adam Homes, City of Prince George
Best Judgement Stop
Val Hunsaker, Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure
Overall Scores
Val Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure 54
Greg Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure 65
Adam City of Prince George 73
Cody 94.3 The Goat 75
Tara Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure 79
Mike 101.3 The River 82
Curtis Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure 86
Bill Prince George Daily News 100
Laurie City of Prince George 100
Frank Prince George Citizen 106
Dave City of Prince George 113
Megan Capri Insurance 113
JD 101.3 River 120
Tristian City of Prince George 120
Mayor Lyn Hall City of Prince George132
Chico PG Cougars 138
Kurt Country 97FM 140
Chris City of Prince George 140
Loralyn UNBC 149
Olivia CKPG 154
Megan City of Prince George 168
Fraser City of Prince George 180
Kyle Vista Radio 190
Champa City of Prince George 194
