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Transit riders in Kelowna community concerned about safety

Online petition calls for expanded service
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BC Transit bus. (Black Press file photo)

Safety concerns have prompted an online petition calling for expanded transit service in Kelowna’s Quail Ridge neighbourhood.

“People who reside in Quail Ridge have shared that they face safety issues in their transportation (especially to and from the University of British Columbia campus), as their area is limited to city transportation from 7:15-5:00 during the weekdays only,” the Change.org petition reads.

BC Transit’s website shows the last bus on the Quail Ridge Route 13 leaves the UBCO Transit Exchange at 5:40 p.m.

It also claims that without a bus (outside normal operating hours) many students are forced to walk up to four kilometres along a high-traffic road, in the dark and with a lack of cell service. BC Transit is aware of the petition.

“Our goal is to provide the safest and most reliable public transit service to all our customers in the Kelowna Regional Transit System, and we understand the concerns being raised,” read an email statement to Capital News. “Unfortunately, at this time BC Transit and the City of Kelowna do not have the resources to expand service to this area beyond the current schedule.”

The statement added that BC Transit recognizes the impact on UBCO students and faculty.

“We are continuing to work with the City of Kelowna and with our partners at UBCO to look at potential future solutions for the campus community.”

READ MORE: Central Okanagan transit strike to be halted by arbitrator


@GaryBarnes109
gary.barnes@kelownacapnews.com

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Gary Barnes

About the Author: Gary Barnes

Recently joined Kelowna Capital News and WestK News as a multimedia journalist in January 2022. With almost 30 years of experience in news reporting and radio broadcasting...
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