Flixbus, now in 3 provinces, desires to attach Canada within the wake of Greyhound’s demise

4 years after Greyhound abruptly left Canada, a German firm is banking on Canadian travellers nonetheless having loads of urge for food for the great old school bus. 

Flixbus, established in Munich in 2013, affords low-cost bus service in a particular, vibrant inexperienced package deal. The corporate, which operates in additional than 40 international locations, began providing intercity bus journeys all through Europe and entered the North American market with routes on the west coast of the U.S. in 2018. 

The corporate scooped up the Greyhound model shortly after it left Canada in 2021. It began providing cross-border journeys between the U.S. and Canada, adopted by home service in Canada in 2022. It is doubled its Canadian mileage on this nation yearly since, it stated. 

“We will make Flix journey high of thoughts for anybody planning an extended journey in Canada,” stated Dallas-based Kai Boysan, CEO of Flix North America.

The corporate presently operates in Ontario, Alberta and Saskatchewan and it hopes to quickly add interprovincial transit to Manitoba. 

It is not the one firm that sees a future for intercity bus journey. It has competitors in Western Canada from longer-standing rivals like Ebus and Rider Categorical, each of which say they, too, are protecting their eyes open for growth alternatives. 

Nonetheless, one transportation skilled says there are limits to the kind of community that may be created by the non-public sector. Whereas companies could also be completely happy to supply service between giant inhabitants centres, many rural and distant communities are nonetheless disconnected.

“You will want authorities help on the subject of taking a look at a few of these additional out locations,” stated Toronto-based David Cooper, principal at Main Mobility consulting. 

Flixbus, for its half, stated it is open to working with completely different ranges of presidency to supply service in smaller communities the place it would not in any other case be commercially viable. 

Uber for buses

A part of what makes Flixbus distinctive is that it describes itself as a type of Uber for buses. The corporate offers the expertise to forecast demand, set schedules and pricing — however retains its overhead prices low by counting on native companions to rent the drivers and preserve the fleet. 

Boysan, the CEO, pitches Flixbus as a substitute for short-haul flights that is extra handy and fewer topic to delays. He additionally desires to combine the bus into travellers’ aircraft and prepare journeys, by providing stops at Through Rail stations and airports, to place it as a substitute for a rental automobile for the final leg of a journey. 

Considered one of these newest routes is a visit between the Calgary Worldwide Airport and Banff. Whereas Boysan stated the corporate targets prospects from all walks of life, most passengers on this journey have been backpackers of their early twenties who’d chosen the bus for one purpose solely. 

“We’re type of like broke school college students, so we simply received the most cost effective factor we may,” Leo Fritsch, 18, stated, including his tickets value about $25.

Extra distant choices wanted

Cooper, the transportation marketing consultant, stated Canada continues to be pretty restricted in what intercity bus and prepare choices can be found. He thinks it is a optimistic signal to see any corporations including new routes. 

However to be able to serve extra communities, he believes it is price it for governments to allocate extra funding to regional transportation in rural and distant areas, pointing to packages like BC Bus North. 

As for Flixbus, the corporate quickly hopes to start out providing home service in B.C. and Quebec, and from there, to attach all the nation east-west. 

“Our imaginative and prescient is to have the ability to serve all the Canada,” Boysan stated.