A city-backed Owen Sound to Guelph bus service is set to begin running today after its planned launch in March was delayed because of the pandemic.
Guelph Owen Sound Transportation — or GOST — will operate seven days a week all year, except for Christmas Day.
The city advises GOST will depart from the Owen Sound Transit Terminal and run along the Highway 6 corridor with stops in Chatsworth, Williamsford, Durham, Mount Forest, Arthur, Fergus and Elora before arriving at the final destination of Central Station in Guelph.
According to the city, the entire trip from Owen Sound to Guelph on the GOST will take two hours and 45 minutes.
“Providing transit to and from Guelph allows for people to better connect to Kitchener-Waterloo, Hamilton, Cambridge and the Greater Toronto Area,” says Owen Sound Mayor Ian Boddy in a statement. “The GOST transit service also allows for residents of Grey County to utilize another option to move from community to community along the Highway 6 corridor.”
Last year, Owen Sound awarded a $1.02-million contract to Voyago to operate the bus service until March 31, 2023. The city is funding it from a $1.24-million grant it received from the province’s Community Transportation Grant Program.
City officials advise the GOST bus will run two round-trips between Owen Sound and Guelph daily on a brand new, fully accessible 22 person passenger bus.
However, bus capacity is currently limited to 10 people due to COVID-19.
The trips will depart daily from the Owen Sound Transit Terminal at 7:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
The fare for the full route from Owen to Guelph is $20. The cost varies based on what zone passengers are getting on the bus and where they are travelling to — with a minimum fare of $5.
Riders on the transit service are currently required to wear a mask or face covering while on the bus in accordance with public health orders.
