This N.L. town's single electric bus has been out of service for almost a month, and people are fed up
Happy Valley-Goose Bay's electric bus, the sole bus in the town's transportation network, has been out of service since Aug. 27. (Town of Happy Valley-Goose Bay)Social SharingIt's been nearly a month since Happy Valley-Goose Bay's single electric bus went out of service, and two residents say their frustration only continues to grow.
Stephanie White rode the bus almost every day to work at the Valley Veterinary Clinic. But since the bus went out of commission on Aug. 27, she said she's had to give up shifts in recent weeks because she lacks another mode of transportation.
"It's frustrating, because I need to get to work. And now I'm paying $20 for a cab each way to my other job," White told Labrador Morning.
"I've talked to a few people, and they said that it's a great service when it works. But it's not working enough for it to be worth the amount of money that the town sunk into it."
The town's transit service, which launched in June 2025, operates through a single, 18-seat electric bus that runs between Happy Valley and Goose Bay.
In an interview with CBC News on Tuesday, Happy Valley-Goose Bay Mayor Bert Pomeroy said the town is waiting for parts from overseas to fix a mechanical issue.
"We're kind of at the mercy of the shipping company, so we're just waiting on that. I haven't received an update today, but as far as I know they're in transit," he said.
Stephanie White, left and Rihanna Stone rely on the Happy Valley-Goose Bay bus to get around the community. (Submitted by Stephanie White, Andrea McGuire/CBC)"Hopefully those parts will arrive soon, and we'll get our bus back on the road."
The service outage has also caused problems for students like Rihanna Stone, who recently moved to the community and was hoping to rely on the bus for transit without a car.
"It's very hard to get to one point or another, especially if 'Oh, your hospital's on one side or your pharmacy is on one side, and you live on the other side.' It's a minimum of, like, a 15-minute drive. So it's hard for me, and any other people who are also facing this issue, to get anywhere," Stone said.
"If you don't have a car, and you're moving to Goose Bay without knowing what it's like β¦ then it becomes an issue."
Both Stone and White said they'd like to see secondary transit options in the community, or something that better fits the infrastructure of Happy Valley-Goose Bay like a gas or diesel bus.
Pomeroy said that's likely out of the question, as operating one bus is already costly. He said it has cost around $230,000 for the year, and that a secondary bus β especially one that operates on diesel β would be even more costly to taxpayers.
Happy Valley-Goose Bay Mayor Bert Pomeroy says the bus costs the town around $230,000 a year, and that operating a second bus would be even more costly. (Andrea McGuire/CBC)With the town operating just one bus, Pomeroy said he believes the town's transit system is more of a supplementary tool β and that residents shouldn't rely on it as a main mode of transportation.
"I don't think people should be dependent on this service. You know, we have one bus, and we have a large community. You know, the bus is available on-demand, when it's available. You know, we can't make a bus appear when somebody wants one," he said.
"We're very proud of the service we provide. Is it 100 per cent service? Can't guarantee that. We can't guarantee the bus won't break down next month. So, you know, that's the realities that we're in."
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