NDP call for Highway of Tears shuttle service

The NDP say the Liberals are ignoring recommendations in the Missing Women’s Inquiry by not operating a shuttle bus along Highway 16 – the Highway of Tears.

“If the B.C. Liberals have no plans to bring in safe, accessible transportation along the Highway of Tears, they need to be honest with communities and simply say so,” said North Coast MLA Jennifer Rice.

The Missing Women’s Inquiry endorsed all of the recommendations made by the Highway of Tears symposium that was held in Prince George in 2006, including the call for a shuttle bus. In his 2012 report Commissioner Wally Oppal singled out the need for public transportation along the highway as an urgent recommendation that should be implemented immediately.

The Liberals accepted the recommendation but have not, yet, instituted a shuttle service.

Nechako Lakes MLA John Rustad said money has been granted through the civil forfeiture funding to meet some of the recommendations in the Missing Women’s Inquiry. The Carrier Sekani Tribal Council and New Hope Society each received $100,000. However, no shuttle service was announced.

“(The inquiry) didn’t actually come out and recommend a shuttle service,” said Rustad, saying the concern raised was about safety and transportation along Highway 16.

“We are engaged with communities looking at the kinds of options we could consider around that,” he said. “There’s still more work to be done before we can figure out what potentially could happen, if anything at all.”