Dear Editor,
I am writing to register my dismay at the recent announcement by Greyhound Canada to suspend service in all of Western Canada.
Greyhound claims that “a decline in ridership” is the underlying reason for its inability to continue a once-profitable service. From my perspective, Greyhound ran the business into the ground, and now thousands of people will be left in the lurch because of the mismanagement of the company.
In a span of two years while I still supported Greyhound Canada, I or a member of my family have been on a bus that suddenly shut down because of oil not being added, leaving passengers stranded for hours on the side of the road; on a bus that ran out of gas, again leaving passengers stranded for hours on the freeway; on a bus that had been re-routed without this information being passed on to connecting depots, leaving waiting families concerned and upset at the lack of communication.
In no case did the company offer any kind of restitution, refund, or apology. Even freight orders did not arrive on time, or went missing without explanation.
The inconsistent service made me lose confidence in continuing to use Greyhound Canada as an alternative means of transport. Greyhound Canada used to be an affordable, safe, reliable, and convenient option for people to travel and for freight to move. The ridership is not at fault for Greyhound Canada’s poor business sense.
In some respects, Greyhound Canada’s demise may be good for B.C. The announcement may spur the provincial government and local governments to acknowledge the need for a province-wide, public, inter-city transportation system that can provide the service Greyhound Canada could not, or would not, provide.
Gloria E. Mertens
Ashcroft, B.C.
Dear Editor,
Tuberculosis is the world’s leading treatable infectious killer, with more than 14 million sufferers, one-third of whom aren’t diagnosed. At current treatment rates, the global TB epidemic will continue for another 150 years, with an estimated 28 million deaths and a cost of $1 trillion in the next decade. alone
But it doesn’t have to be this way! The upcoming United Nations High-Level Meeting on TB is a chance to show the same success with TB as it did with HIV/AIDS.
There is so much wrong in today’s world, so much we seem powerless to change. But we eliminated smallpox because it was the right thing to do, we halved the deaths by HIV/AIDS in under six years, and we can eliminate TB as well. The Trudeau Liberals must make a forceful push to ensure that finally, the world ends the TB scourge.
Jeanette Aubin
Victoria, B.C.
