Former Greyhound Canada bus driver Roger Villeux says “the writing was on the wall” for a number of years regarding the company’s service to and from the Yukon.

Greyhound is looking to end its northern B.C. routes that also come in and out of the territory three times a week.

Earlier this week, it was announced the bus company has applied to end its northern B.C./Whitehorse route.

The company filed the paperwork on Aug. 10 with B.C.’s Passenger Transportation Board to discontinue service between Dawson Creek, B.C. and Whitehorse.

Also on the chopping block are the Prince George routes that go to and from Prince Rupert, Valemount and Dawson Creek.

Though not in northern B.C., the Victoria/Nanaimo run is also listed in the application.

So is a proposal to reduce stops on other routes and have the option to pare the minimum number of runs for a variety of routes in the province.

“It didn’t surprise me one bit,” Villeux told the Star Thursday afternoon.

He was a driver with the company for 31 years before he retired earlier this year.

He noted the last six or seven years saw a big drop in passengers. The number of bus riders on his Alaska Highway route between Whitehorse and Fort Nelson, B.C. dropped more each year.

Since 2010, ridership on the five routes that would be discontinued has dropped by 51 per cent, with overall ridership throughout B.C. falling by 46 per cent.

Villeux said he noticed a big change when the company was sold to a new owner a number of years ago.

That’s when a popular inexpensive bus pass was cancelled. It had offered purchasers unlimited travel on Greyhound across the country for a three-month period. Fares on tickets then started going up as routes and such were cut back.

At the same time, airline tickets in and out of the territory began dropping.

There were many things Villeux liked about driving the route, he said.

“I enjoyed the job,” Villeux said, highlighting the tranquility and scenery of driving the Alaska Highway.

And there were also the travellers – both regulars who made an annual trip to Whitehorse and back to their hometown and others venturing north for the first time.

Some had never seen the type of wildlife that frequents the Alaska Highway.

“Their face was priceless. Their jaws would just drop,” Villeux said.

He recalled coming across bears, bison and other animals crossing the highway or venturing into the wilderness on either side of the road.

“The wildlife was unbelievable.”

While his job meant getting customers from one stop to another, it also gave him an opportunity to showcase the region a bit.

Villeux’ favourite stop on the route was at the Liard River. There, the bus would stop for a 45-minute break to give customers a chance to get a meal and have a smoke.

It was there that Villeux would let them know they had a choice. They could spend that time getting a meal or have some time at the hot springs.

The choice always came as a surprise to many who weren’t expecting they’d get to experience some hot springs as they travelled along the highway.

“They couldn’t believe it,” Villeux said.

Most often, about half the passengers would choose to go to the hot springs, with the other half opting to get a meal.

One of the retired driver’s favourite memories goes back to when he blew a coolant hose.

All but one of the dozen people aboard helped out, filling water bottles from a nearby creek to use until they arrived at the next stop.

Among the customers helping to get the water was a woman in high heels who trekked to and from the creek to make sure there was enough water on board.

Villeux said he does feel sorry for those in communities who use Greyhound for shipping, or to travel between certain communities on the route.

He also empathizes with those who have vehicles that sometimes break down on the highway and have used Greyhound to reach the next community.

At the same time, he pointed out, the number of travellers using the service just aren’t what they once were, he pointed out.

Peter Turner, the president of the Yukon Chamber of Commerce, noted it’s concerning that the only bus service in and out of the territory may end.

“It’s disconcerting,” he said, noting the impact it could have on a number of seasonal and retail workers who arrive in the territory by bus.

Turner also noted that while it’s disappointing the service might end, it is also a function of the changes in how many people travel.

Like Villeux, he suggested the smaller number of bus passengers could be a result of cheaper air transportation.

As Turner pointed out, a lot more people took the bus when it was $1,000 or more to fly from Whitehorse to Vancouver.

Now, passengers can get to Vancouver in a couple of hours, and airfares are fairly close to the cost of a bus ticket. It makes sense that most people would choose to fly, he said.

Yukon government officials said Highways and Public Works Minister Richard Mostyn will be speaking with Greyhound officials next week “to learn more about the rationale behind this possible route cancellation,” a government spokesperson told the Star.

It will be at least three months before a decision is made on Greyhound’s application.

A representative of the Yukon Anti-Poverty Coalition was unavailable this week to comment on Greyhound’s plans.

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