Two taxi drivers in Hope do not believe a new bus service will disrupt their business by much.
Hope Taxi driver Charles Bennett initially thought the bus service took passengers from Hope to Agassiz.
“I actually think it’s good for the town,” said Bennett. “It shouldn’t hurt us because we really don’t get many people to go that distance.”
Upon revealing that the bus service will have a route that picks up passengers in downtown Hope, Silver Creek and Kawkawa Lake, Bennett still felt confident that his business will do fine, even though local destinations make up the majority of his calls.
“I don’t really even think that would hurt us that much,” said Bennett. “People phone us because they want to get to A to B right away.
“Half of them don’t even want to go out.”
A minority of calls for long-distance taxi service comes from people who get into accidents on the highway, to get to Chilliwack and to get to the Abbotsford or Vancouver airports.
Bennett initially said he did not know much about the bus service, but after being informed of the details, he wondered if people would deliberately adjust their schedules to take the bus.
“Instead of taking the taxi or the ambulance, will they take the bus service? And will it fit into their schedule,” asked Hawkins.
“That’s where we get a lot of business — from the older folks,” said Frank Hawkins. “They have appointments at 2 o’clock in the afternoon and it may not fit in with the bus schedule, unless they adjust their schedule.”