Whereas there is limited to no public or non-emergency medical transportation services provided to many small, rural and remote communities in BC; And whereas there exists a need for a socially-mandated intercity bus transportation program to provide essential transportation services for these small, rural and remote communities: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM urge the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure work with BC Transit, local hospital boards, citizen and local government transit committees and private businesses to provide access to transportation hubs located in small, rural and remote communities in BC.
Ministry of Health and Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure The Province appreciates that British Columbians living in rural and remote communities often have unique transportation challenges when accessing non-emergency health services in different communities. Consultation with northern mayors and regional district chairs indicated that those areas could not fund inter-city transportation service from their property taxes, especially in communities where residents were already contributing to local transit service. The Ministry of Health and Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure continue to work closely with health authorities to address the unique needs of British Columbians in each health region. Access to transportation is a priority for this government. We continue to work with our federal counterparts, communities, and other stakeholders to provide safe, affordable, and reliable transportation options for those who live and work in the north. Due to the unique nature of the North and the distances between communities, it is important that the Province does what it can to provide or support inter-city ground transportation services. The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure is happy to report that the Government of Canada has partnered with the Government of BC to fund 50 percent of the costs of a northern inter-city transportation service, BC Bus North, through to March 31, 2022. Residents who are required to travel for planned hospital appointments for services that may not be available in their community are responsible for arranging and paying for their trip to and from the appointment. However, the Province and health authorities offer several subsidized and low-cost private-pay options for patients travelling to access medical care outside their community. In Northern BC these include: Northern Health Connections NHC which provides low-cost bus transportation for patients needing to travel for out-of-town medical appointments in northern BC and Vancouver. For communities such as Stewart, the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure needs to better understand the transportation needs north of Highway 16 along Highway 37 and 37A and staff have started a needs assessment study for rural, remote, and indigenous communities. The Province understands that pandemic has made inter-city travel even more challenging. While there are broader federal and provincial relief funding options available for businesses, there was a funding gap for private inter-city bus providers, which is why on March 9, 2021, the Province announced the one-time relief funding for intercity bus operators to help these vital services stay open and prepare for the strong recovery we expect as BCs COVID-19 vaccination efforts let us all travel more freely. Twenty companies applied for and received over 6 million in funding. BC local governments are welcome to share their thoughts on transportation in their region with the Ministry of Health or the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure.