Kasper Transportation is no longer providing bus service to Atikokan and Fort Frances.
Service has been suspended effective Monday.
In a statement on the company Facebook page, officials say “COVID-19 is putting serious pressure on travel. Those pressures have us looking seriously at our routes and how to make sure we are offering our customers the best service possible.”
However, the company also points the finger to Northern Development Minister Greg Rickford and the decision to have Ontario Northland Transportation bring its bus service to the Rainy River district two weeks ago.
“We were building traffic on the route, and we thought we could make it profitable. But then the Ontario Government started running their tax-payer funded buses on the route, and right now that makes it impossible to complete.
Owner Kasper Wabinski adds “I put the blame on Minister Greg Rickford. The Minister ran under the Progressive Conservative promise of supporting business, but instead seems focused on getting ONTC into Kenora. I wonder what message that is sending to business across our region.”
Wabinski says the suspension of service to Fort Frances will result in job losses and is hoping the move is just a temporary setback.
