By Tom Mark

RDNO Considers Bus Ridership Study

Jan 29, 2018 | 8:11 AM

The Regional District of North Okanagan may study how people are using buses in the region.

RDNO Board Chair Bob Fleming says the idea came out of a meeting directors had at a transit service review meeting.

“We’ll spend a little bit of money out of reserve, so this wouldn’t affect taxes, to investigate ridership. And the how has to be determined because it’s always ever a snapshot.”

Fleming says it needs to be timed carefully so there are no distortions.

“Usually do it in two week blocks. So you have to decide, okay, two weeks in June or May or whatever month they recommend and then trying to split it so you get a better snapshot.”

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Total ridership is known, but the District wants to see where people are coming from and where they are going.

Fleming says another suggestion is to offer free service for a time on the Vernon to Lumby and Vernon to Enderby runs.

“I don’t mean just a week or two. I mean a matter of months or even up to a year of free ridership to see if the ridership can be increased, or what effect that has on the ridership.”

The idea still has to be discussed at the full board level for approval, as does the ridership survey itself.

He doesn’t believe there would be much of an effect on revenue from fares since taxes pay for about 90 per cent of the service.

by Tom Mark