Regional district looking at expanded transit service between Penticton and Kelowna

PENTICTON – B.C. Transit is proposing an improvement to regional bus service between Penticton and Kelowna.

Currently bus service to Kelowna consists of a single trip operating on Mondays only.

B.C. Transit’s proposal would see two round trips per day on weekdays between Penticton and Kelowna, integrating with existing regional district services.

The provincial transit authority will approach the Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen board on March 15 to lay out a series of steps in a non-binding memorandum of understanding confirming the regional district’s willingness to proceed with the creation of the service.

The average cost per household for the service is estimated at between $1.33 and $4.11 per year, if all regional district members participate. The service would be established through the alternative approval process.

Funding from other partners is a possibility, as the bus route goes through Peachland and West Kelowna potentially providing benefit to those communities.

The timeline for implementation of the service would be September 2019.

The Penticton to Kelowna run was identified as a top priority in the 2015 regional district Transit Future Plan.

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