With Greyhound gone, no alternative in place for several parts of B.C.

The last Greyhound bus pulled out of Pacific Central Station at noon Wednesday with its bus driver, Doug Campbell, believing that things would turn out fine for most people who relied on the service — assuming they lived in big cities.

"For the smaller communities, it's going to be tough. Those are the ones that are going to struggle getting the rides, but from the major hubs it should be fine," said Campbell, heading from Vancouver to Kelowna for the final time.

Saanich-based Wilson's Transportation will begin running buses on that route in November, one of several private companies filling in the gaps left by Greyhound across the province.

But several areas of the province will be without service, mostly in areas without major population hubs. 

"What is going to happen for the Similkameen?" said Linda Larson, MLA for Boundary-Similkameen.

"Keremeos, Hedley, Princeton, there's nothing moving through that area that will take them to the Lower Mainland."

Transportation Minister Claire Trevena said, at this point, the government's focus was finding companies to apply to the Passenger Transportation Board to operate those routes. 

"We do have that gap of service, but we are hoping the private sector will come in," she said. 

"We're not talking subsidies at the moment ... the PTB is really working to fast-track this, and making sure the expression of interests get out there, and people know there is that opportunity [to apply]."

Public money needed?

But Larson believes the government will have to intervene.

"I don't believe total private can survive in those rural areas," she said."I know ridership is low, but I also know those small communities totally depend on the ability to be able to get to their medical appointments, cancer clinics, heart surgeries that are either in Vancouver or Kelowna, and there are sections of my riding that no longer have any service at all."

Trevena hasn't ruled out taking the federal government up on its offer of short-term funding or creating a new bus service via B.C. Transit similar to what they did for northern B.C. earlier this year. 

However, on the final day of Greyhound running routes anywhere in B.C. outside of Vancouver to Seattle, there were few details or timelines. 

"Obviously, we're working with the communities," she said.

"I have talked to the community leaders. And make sure we do get their solutions, so people can get the transportation they do need." 

With files from Tina Lovgreen