Last weekend, 16-year-old Bjorn Vik didn't have to worry about getting a ride home after work. He was able to catch the 10:30 p.m. night bus from Snug Cove to Bluewater.
"It's really useful," he says. "Usually I don't have a way to get back from the cove after my shift at Docs. When I heard about the bus, I thought, 'Hey that would be really good.' Otherwise I would have to try and find someone to give me a ride. So I will definitely use it more."
The night bus trial runs have been organized by the Rotary Club of Bowen Island. When Vik rode the bus, there were mostly older people on board but he thinks that more teens like himself will use the service. On Saturday, 26 people got a ride; on Sunday, the number was slightly lower.
Rotarian Sue Schloegl says, "I see this as a service that provides people who don't or shouldn't drive with a way to get around the island safely at night. It's for people who are at the teen centre, or for those who come on the last ferry or come or go on the water taxi. It gives people the opportunity to attend concerts or shows on or off the island. For instance, Jan Furst said that he is happy that he has a way of getting home after a show. Now people can go to restaurants, bars or parties without having to worry about driving home."
There haven't been many options for evening transportation available on Bowen Island since the taxi service shut down. The night bus on Friday and Saturday fills this gap but its sustainability depends on ridership and funding.
Schloegl says, "We started our trial run last weekend and there are feedback forms available on the bus.
We want this to be an ongoing service but it depends on the how many people we get. The ride is free but we have asked for a $10 donation from those who can pay. And of course, people can donate to the program by giving money to the Rotary Club of Bowen Island. If it's not popular, we are not putting the work into making it run. Peter [King] is doing the driving and we're paying him the charter rate. But we are exploring alternative sources. Peter is talking to Translink to see if they can help with this."
The majority of the funds are from the Safe Rides Home initiative that had a big fundraiser two years ago. The program is also sponsored by four businesses - Doc Morgan's Restaurant and Pub, MikSa, the Bowen Island Pub and Cormorant Marina - and, of course, the Rotary Club.
The bus picks up passengers from the ferry and the water taxi and covers runs from Snug Cove to Miller's Landing, Bluewater and Endswell Farm between the hours of 10:30 p.m. and 2:00 a.m.
