Cache Creek Council heard a proposal for a new bus service for the area at their June 10 meeting.
Although not part of the agenda, business men David Hosford and Abdul Rasheed use the public question period at the end of the Council meeting to pitch their idea to councillors.
According to Hosford, Yellow Cab has been operating in Cache Creek since May 6 and business has been good.
“You’ve also cut off BC Transit bus service because of costs to the Village,” he noted, and said he could provide a bus with wheelchair support as well as a shuttle.
This is a private venture, he said, and “we won’t be asking the Village for money. We’re here to stay.”
He said they could offer the same service to Clinton, Lytton, Ashcroft and Lillooet. They only thing they were looking for was the backing of the Village.
“The Village of Cache Creek supports free enterprise,” agreed Mayor John Ranta.
Hosford said if there was any cost to the Village, it would be to advertise the service to its residents.
Ranta said Hosford and his partner, Abdul Rasheed, should meet with administration, who would need to write a report to Council so it could be discussed at a future council meeting. He added that Ashcroft and Clinton may already be part of a five-year contract with BC Transit for the continuation of that service.
Rasheed reminded Council that he operated the Yellow Cab service in the area in 2006, when the villages provided a taxi saver service. He said business was good, but he had to leave when BC Transit began to operate because he couldn’t compete.
Hosford said they’ve given the plan a lot of thought. Taxi fare between Cache Creek and Ashcroft would be $20, or $10 if it was by bus. It’s still in the planning stages, he said, but they are thinking of a service six days per week with four scheduled trips per day. And they would offer door to door service.
He said feedback from taxi customers indicates that a bus service would be ableto do well. He said it might take a while to build a ridership base, but “we have to look at it long term.”
“It sounds like an interesting proposal,” said Ranta.