Whereas the traditional service delivery models available to local governments through BC Transit do not always meet the needs of rural or smaller communities; And whereas rural or smaller communities encounter geographical constraints and exhibit lower population densities that create challenges and economical inefficiencies for a conventional transit model: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM urge the Province to provide more flexible and innovative models for service delivery, such as Transit On-Demand, for smaller and rural communities where conventional transit may not be an appropriate service delivery model.
Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure British Columbians need reliable and affordable transportation to travel for work, to appointments, and to see loved ones. The Ministry is committed to looking for solutions that will maintain and improve inter-city bus and public transportation connections that support British Columbians. We are supporting and learning from innovative solutions across the province, including the Zunga Bus digital on-demand service in Powell River, and Connected Network trip planning and booking platform in Northern BC. BC Transit is also planning to pilot a Digital on Demand transit service in Kelowna, to launch in spring 2024. We are interested in learning from these examples to determine if, how and where they could be deployed more broadly.