A Kamloops school board trustee has launched an online petition calling on the City of Kamloops to establish a new bus route in the Ord Road area.
Jodhbir Kang says the idea to ensure that residents in that part of Kamloops have equitable access to transportation options, telling Radio NL its an issue that has been going back over a decade.
“Ord Road has been developing quite a bit, especially the last two or three years, but the whole street actually has no access to public transit except for on Parkcrest or they have to walk all the way to 8th Street,” Kang said.
He also cited data from Statistics Canada, which showed that about 12 per cent of Kamloops households do not have access to a vehicle.
“Public transportation is not just about mobility; it’s about equal access to opportunities and improving the quality of life for all residents,” Kang said. “For these households and many others who prefer environmentally friendly transport options, public bus service is crucial.”
Speaking on NL Newsday, Kang said since launching the petition on Sunday, he has heard from a number of residents who say that route needs to be implemented sooner rather than later.
“The City of Kamloops has had this route on their list of potential routes for many years now, but because I guess, the public just hasn’t asked for it as much as they expected [it hasn’t happened], but people are reaching out to me daily, actually hourly, just saying ‘we need this right now,” Kang said.
Kang also said it is “ironic” that there is no bus route along Ord Road, even though it is the location of the BC Transit depot in Kamloops.
“[Bus drivers] can’t even bus to work if they want to, and they’re going to drive a bus. It’s been a thing that needs to be addressed, I think, sooner than later,” Kang said, noting the bus route would also service the gurdwara along Ord Road.
“It is a gathering place for seniors in the Sikh community and a place where everyone is welcome. I know a lot of international students and seniors who take transit and a lot of them get off at Parkcrest and they have to walk all the way around the railway tracks [to get to the gurdwara.]
The efforts to try and add a new bus route along Ord Road are not new.
Two years ago, Kamloops Councillor Bill Sarai told Radio NL that he was hoping to see a new bus route along Ord Road. He also said he felt that route should service Kamloops Airport as well.
“A lot of people don’t take the bus to the airport, that’s a given, but a lot of workers need to get transit to get to work,” Sarai said in Feb. 2022. “Parking is at a premium and if do get it, it costs a lot.”
Earlier this year, Sarai brought up the idea of a bus route to the airport again, after the City approved the rezoning of nearly 300 hectares of land at Fulton Field to allow a broader range of commercial, industrial and airport-related uses.
“The best thing I took out of that is better roadways and eventually some transit on Ord Road and to the airport and back,” Sarai said in January. “This development is spurring on other improvements for Brocklehurst.”
As of publishing the petition – which you can find here – had over 300 signatures.
Radio NL has reached out to BC Transit and the City of Kamloops for information regarding plans to establish a bus route along Ord Road.
