BC Transit plans on expanding its service between Osoyoos and the rest of the South Okanagan to five days per week starting next fall. The Town of Osoyoos, which administers the program, will have service from Monday to Friday, instead of the current Monday to Thursday. Town council voted Monday to approve spending the additional dollars needed to pay for its portion of the costs. (File Photo).
Users of the BC Transit system in Osoyoos are going to be very happy next fall when the service expands to five days a week from the current four.
Town of Osoyoos Council approved the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with BC Transit on Monday to expand the service beginning in September of 2017 to provide service between Osoyoos and Penticton – and one day a week to Kelowna – from Monday to Friday instead of the current Monday to Thursday service.
While Coun. C. J. Rhodes wasn’t pleased that the town was given a very tight deadline to sign the deal before an imposed deadline of June 15, council ended up voting unanimously in supporting the motion to sign the deal.
The Town of Osoyoos has administered the operating agreement for the South Okanagan Transit System for several years.
Over the past couple of years, staff has worked with BC Transit and a focus group to prepare a 25-year future expansion plan for the South Okanagan, which include transit service to Oliver, OK Falls, Kaleden and Penticton, said Janette Van Vianen, the town’s director of corporate services.
“This plan was approved by BC Transit in 2015,” she said.
Currently, the system services Osoyoos to Kelowna on Mondays (one trip per day) and between Osoyoos and Penticton on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday (two trips per day).
The first step in expanding the South Okanagan system is to expand the service to include trips on Friday, she said.
Providing five day a week service would include the purchase of a second bus for the South Okanagan system and Osoyoos would continue to pay just under 40 per cent of the costs, she said.
The Town of Oliver pays roughly 21 per cent, Area D (Okanagan Falls) pays 17 per cent, Area C (Oliver rural) 14 per cent and Area A (Osoyoos rural ) 10 per cent. This past April, the province approved base funding and did not provide additional funding for the South Okanagan system, said Van Viane.
“In April… the provincial government announced their commitment of $12.7 million in funding over the next three years to support transit expansion initiatives throughout the province,” she said. “We have been advised that our proposed expansion of a Friday service from Osoyoos to Penticton (two trips per day) was identified as a candidate for potential expansion under this new funding. This expansion does require a second bus.”
Because the expanded service won’t begin until the fall of 2017, the total amount for that year will be pro-rated to September, which would increase the cost to the town to just over $3,700, with the full amount of just over $11,000 annually to become part of the town budget in 2018, she said.
The Town of Oliver has also committed to pay its share for the expanded service, but the board with the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen (RDOS) indicates that board has only been asked to consider a South Okanagan Transit System service bylaw and not the proposed expansion and required funding.
This didn’t go over well with Rhodes.
Being put under the pressure of a deadline of June 15 and not knowing if the RDOS is going to provide funding “simply isn’t fair,” said Rhodes.
While he’s fully supportive of an expanded transit system – one he knows is popular and well used – he didn’t like the fact the Town of Osoyoos is on the hook for administering the transit service, but hasn’t received verified commitment to help pay the costs from key partners like the RDOS, said Rhodes.
“We should send them the bill and they should pay because we are administering this service,” he said. ‘”It’s such a valuable service and it’s much needed, but we are assuming all the risk. This could go sideways and we could end up having to pay for the whole works … it’s unfair.”
According to RDOS staff, they will not consider the MOU for expanding the service until they take on the service as a regional one, said Van Vianen.
“They feel that the Town of Osoyoos, as the holder of the operating agreement, must make this decision,” she said. “However, since the Town of Osoyoos relies on the RDOS and the Town of Oliver for funding of the system, including possible expansion, it is important that we consult and receive their blessing for the expansion.
“BC Transit needs the MOU signed by June 15 in order to submit the funding request to the province for 2017.
KEITH LACEY
Osoyoos Times
