INNISFAIL – The community coach bus in Innisfail will soon be taking its final ride out of town.
After more than a dozen years of serving the community, officials with the Royal Canadian Legion Branch #104 in Innisfail say the bus has not been profitable.
Town council is now looking at unloading it at an auction; a move that was recommended by the municipality’s Transportation Committee through a motion on Nov. 10.
The committee also passed a second motion that the balance of the Community Bus Reserve, along with proceeds of the sale of the bus and any current year bus operating surplus, be put into the PACE (handivan) Reserve.
Meghan Jenkins, director of community services for the Town of Innisfail, invited a discussion by council on how best to dispose of the bus during its Nov. 21 agenda and priorities meeting.
A final decision is expected this week after council considers a formal administration report and recommended motion.
Jenkins told council on Nov. 21 that Innisfail Legion officials have informed the town that they want to terminate the community coach operating agreement with the municipality effective next April.
With the bus not being profitable, Jenkins added it had been operating with rates well below the private charter market.
She told council the coach has not been operating for the past three weeks due to the recent resignation of the driver, and that the legion is not looking to fill the position.
Jenkins said administration initially recommended selling the bus at the next Michener Allen Auctioneering Ltd. auction on Dec. 1 with a reserve bid of $50,000.
Council was told the bus is expected to sell in the $100,000 range.
However, Jenkins added the town has since discovered that the Dec. 1 sale is an unreserved auction, not a reserved auction that would guarantee the municipality a minimum price of $50,000.
Jenkins said if council wanted to place a reserve bid on the bus, it would have to wait until February. She said if that was the preference, the bus would not have an up-to-date safety certificate.
Council was told the cost to get a new safety certificate would be about $7,000.
Several council members wanted to wait until the February reserve auction, emphasizing it was important in getting an optimum sales price from a renewed safety certificate and to address other issues, such as potentially replacing worn tires.
“Anyone in the community will also understand that if it's not serving mostly what it was initially supposed to do, like sports clubs and things like that and becoming a tour bus, then the money would be better directed somewhere else,” said Coun. Dale Dunham.
Following council, mayor Jean Barclay said the reality was that the munincipality cannot afford to replace the bus.
The 47-seat coach was purchased brand new in 2009 from Winnipeg-based Motor Coach Industries for about $500,000 following a community-driven fundraising drive. In 2020, the town estimated it would cost around $800,000 to replace it.
“It's getting to the point where it's needing more repairs, and maybe the tires need replacing and that's not inexpensive,” said Barclay.
“We know the legion is wanting to get out of the transportation area. I think it's time unfortunately that we left that business and let the tour bus operators do that instead.”
