Members of Town of Osoyoos council unanimously agreed Monday the town’s new $90,000 bus, purchased with federal gas tax revenue a few months ago, is going to be used much more often in the near future. Council is considering using the bus for public transit during the peak tourist season here in Osoyoos. Staff will prepare a report looking at potential uses for the bus in the next few weeks. Photo by Mathew White.
Town of Osoyoos council is going to look at numerous options to use its new $90,000 passenger bus, including taking a serious look at using the bus for public transit during the peak tourist season.
“I would love to see us running a public transit service up and down Main Street to key destinations across town,” said Coun. Michael Ryan at Monday’s committee of the whole meeting at the town hall. “It would relieve traffic congestion and some of our parking problems.
“This is something that would enhance our community as a summer community. The question should be how can we use this (bus) as a form of public transportation here in Osoyoos?”
Mayor Stu Wells said the idea of using the bus for public transportation during the peak tourist season is something that should be looked at further.
The reality is this brand new bus, purchased in 2011 by the town from gas tax revenue forwarded from the federal government, is not being used nearly enough and that has to change, said Wells.
“We have to start using the darned thing, that makes so much darned sense,” said Wells.
Gerald Davis, the town’s director of community services, said the new 23-passenger bus replaces an old and beat up 1978 GM bus that was on its very last legs.
The community daycare centre uses the bus to transport children to various functions and is used by town staff occasionally, but the reality is the bus isn’t being used on a regular basis and staff believes new policies and procedures should be put in place to use the bus, said Davis.
There isn’t any fee structure in place to use or lease the bus and staff believes advertising space on windows and on the interior should be other options considered by council, he said.
Selling advertising would not only be a good way to promote the town and local businesses, but also a way to generate revenue to pay for the costs of operating the bus, said Davis.
A suggestion to consider leasing out the bus to compete with commercial operators was quickly shot down by members of council.
“I always have a problem with municipalities like ours competing with private business,” said Coun.C.J. Rhodes. “I struggle with the fact we shouldn’t be in competition in the first place, regardless of the costs.”
Mayor Stu Wells agreed, saying there are a lot of commercial operators who conduct tours and transport people around, especially during the peak hot weather months and the town should not be in competition with these private business owners.
“I have a hard time with us competing against private enterprise,” he said.
Coun. Mike Plante, who runs a wine country tour operation, said the town’s bus shouldn’t be competing against private business owners, but added having this brand new bus sitting in a parking lot for hours on end is not the way to go.
“I see us trying to use this for a transportation system if it’s just sitting there,” he said. “It’s there and we’ve got to figure out how to use it properly and if we do that there should be some sort of revenue brought to the town from using the bus.”
Plante said selling advertising is a terrific way to generate revenue to operate the bus, no matter what council decides.
Barry Romanko, the town’s chief administrative officer, said he believes running a public transit service through town during peak hours appears to be a very good idea, as is selling advertising space.
Following discussion, council directed staff to look further at this issue and come up with a draft of possible uses for the new bus, including the option of using it for public transit.
