On Tuesday, December 19, the last City of Powell River committee of the whole meeting of 2023 is taking place, and prior to that, a special meeting of council. One agenda item of note is whether or not the city will continue with the Zunga Bus pilot project, a digital on-demand transportation service.
It was only a few months ago, and reported by the Peak, that the city won a climate and energy action award at the Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM) convention in Vancouver for its Zunga Bus project. The award from the Community Energy Association (CEA) was a proud moment for mayor Ron Woznow,city council members, and former city councillor CaroleAnn Leishman, who spearheaded the pilot project in 2020.
In a previous interview with the Peak about accessibility in the qathet region, Leishman said: "By having piloted the Zunga bus, on-demand transit, we're the first community to do that in BC. We are showing that when you have efficient, direct, transit, that doesn't take an hour and a half to get from A to B, and has a more direct route, people will use it, and it's changing people's lives."
Leishman emphasized that the service is getting people out who would otherwise be more isolated and have fewer opportunities because they can't afford a taxi.
"If a person can't afford to own a car or they can't drive because they have vision impairment or other issues, having more ways to get around the community is just a way of providing equity," said Leishman.
Fast forward to a city council meeting on November 2; on the table was the possibility of axing the Zunga Bus altogether. At the meeting, city director of infrastructure Tor Birtig suggested the city suspend operation of the Zunga Bus for 2024, at least, until BC Transit is involved with the carrying out an on-demand transit service pilot project.
Director of inclusive community services for inclusion Powell River (iPR), Yvonne Russell said many iPR clients use the Zunga Bus. The agency assists more than 800 people in qathet, many with accessibility issues, who also use HandyDart and public transit.
"The only thing we have found with the Zunga Bus is that it isn't wheelchair accessible," Russell told the Peak. "So that's always the issue in our area, having the right transportation, at the right time available for people."
Russell said she only knows anecdotally how convenient the Zunga Bus has been, because of a family member who takes it frequently and is also an iPR client.
"It's an easy app for him to access, and he does it totally by himself," said Russell. "He's been able to get to a going-away party using the Zunga Bus."
The digital, on-demand, door-to-door bus service only operates in the Westview neighbourhood, and runs from 11 am to 6:30 pm, seven days per week.
In September, Woznow said: "As the city transitions from a mill town, every opportunity the city has to demonstrate that it is innovative, such as with the Zunga Bus, is important.”
He added that it is also important that city council supports an extension of the project beyond its pilot phase, even though BC Transit did not become a monetary supporter in 2023.
UPDATE: Due to a pair of tied votes by council at the the December 21 city council meeting, the Zunga Bus service will be discontinued as on December 31, 2023.
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