Pruning regulations: Free the bus, for starters
THE NOVA SCOTIA and New Brunswick governments have it in their power to ensure Maritimers have inter-city bus service when the Acadian group stops its regulated service in November.
What the two provinces must do is not very difficult. And it doesn’t involve the risk and expense of their governments getting into a business they know nothing about.
All they really need to do are two things.
First, reduce or eliminate the economic regulation of inter-city buses in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia (P.E.I. is already deregulated).
Second, harmonize whatever necessary regulation remains — for example, supervision of bus safety — so operators are complying with only one set of rules for Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island.
If the provinces do this, two private tour bus operators in the region have already indicated they are interested in offering regular line-run service on former Acadian routes.
Dennis Campbell of Halifax-based Ambassatours says the business can be viable and even lucrative for more than one company with “a few simple adjustments” in regulation.
Safety regulation should be left intact, he says. But, reasonably, he wants the freedom to nimbly respond to routine competition and market conditions without asking permission from the Utility and Review Board.
And he’s right. Operators shouldn’t need URB approval to offer discounts or seat sales or to move a bus stop from a location where people aren’t getting on to one where passengers will show up. Letting companies respond to such customer preferences not only strengthens the operator’s bottom line; it improves service.
Nova Scotia and New Brunswick should act immediately to lighten and harmonize bus regulation, so new services can start running.
All three provinces should also learn a lesson from this. They should make it a priority to jointly harmonize conflicting regulations in all sectors, and to eliminate unnecessary ones — without waiting for another crisis to push them into another one-off remedy.
Let’s see a commitment to remove all such barriers to a strong and efficient single Maritimes market. It’s time to identify self-defeating regulations and to harmonize or axe them in a defined timeframe. A goal of 18 months should be plenty of time to do the job.
Just the tip of the iceberg
Submitted by No problem here... on August 19, 2012 - 8:59am.
Governments have long fingers and multiple hands. They are everywhere, they invade everything they are worse than the worse infestation that you can imagine. They regulate the bus business (See where that has gotten us) they regulate the booze business (More boozing now than ever) they regulate the price of gas (Onwards and upwards) they regulate the power generating and delivery system (Ditto).
They have a phony baloney car inspection system in order to gain revenue from the HST on bogus inspection reports requiring you to purchase expensive parts that in other jurisdictions are deemed safe and reliable. Lastly they regulate the lottery systems, when is the last time you won big? They sure do, and their thousands of employees and wealthy bureaucrats and politicians attest to that fact.
If France and Germany
Submitted by Selina on August 19, 2012 - 9:51am.
along with many more European countries can merge and form a political union.....
How hard can it be for NS, NB & PEI to harmonize bus regulations?
Or is this viewed as the "thin edge of the wedge" towards a political union and the disappearance of a sinecure enjoyed by many who will have to be involved in the decision in the first place?
Gee, maybe it IS complicated.
Agreed
Submitted by daveburris on August 19, 2012 - 10:01am.
Great editorial, and yes, wouldn't it be nice if the provinces would "jointly harmonize conflicting regulations in all sectors, and to eliminate unnecessary ones" Don't hold your breath.
In the mid-70s they were trying to prevent us from pumping our own gas, and they haven't gained much traction since then.
Maybe they should be all given pink slips.
Some common sense rules are all that's required
Submitted by Menachem Began on August 19, 2012 - 10:17am.
Maybe a minimum of one or two weeks notice for route changes, so that riders are not left stranded.
Maybe a formal complaint system.
As stated, harmonized safety and licensing rules.
The End.
The governments have utterly failed to fulfill their role; i.e. keeping the regulations up-to-date. Major Fail.
Toss yer rules man....
Submitted by Tank on August 19, 2012 - 10:20am.
I haven't taken a bus in fourty years, but I recognize for some, it is still a viable and at times necessary method of traveling. We suffer under way too many cumbersome rules so time to make some of them disappear. Running any kind of business in Nova Scotia is an exercise in frustration and anger.
Finally --get it together
Submitted by jack24 on August 19, 2012 - 10:31am.
The very fact that the maritime bus service has come to this is a disgrace. Just looking at what Acadien said regarding their loses since 1994...around 12 million. Even if the bus service had been given some gov. money, that would amount to be about a half million a year for ns and nb each and a lesser amount for pei. These governments give away more for celebrations and arts. Essential services that are required by the less advantaged, students and the elderly, well that can go on the back burner. This coming after a bus lockout that lasted 8 months. Also now there has been a reduction in train service, all the more reason to get your act together.
As this article states make all regulations for the three provinces the same,this is just more of the same, with three little provinces acting like they are Ontario with a go it alone attitude.
No regulations, no service for rural NS
Submitted by Dartmouthbreather on August 19, 2012 - 10:43am.
The editorial is right, you don't need regulations to run a successful and profitable bus service between cities like Halifax and Moncton, or even Halifax and Antigonish.
What the article doesn't point out is the bus carriers want to remove regulations so they no longer have to go to the UARB for permission to eliminate service to places like Baddeck, Bridgetown and Digby.
If you want true interprovincial bus service that reaches all over the Maritimes you need the current regulations in place. If we want limited bus service between major urban areas, by all means eliminate the current regulations. I'm sure the bus carriers can be very profitable that way at the expense of rural communities.
Regulation
Submitted by Here on August 19, 2012 - 10:58am.
Here we have a couple (likely three counting Acadien) companies saying they will give it a go if the governments get out of the business way and confine themselves to regulating safety. The are motivated by that awful word profit and surprisingly enough are in the bus business. Professionals offering to run a sensible service if allowed by governments to do so.
Then we have the Yarmouth ferry. The government said it couldn't subsidize shopping trips to Bar Harbour at six million a year and walks away three years ago. Now the local initiative is to give "someone" between 15 and 24 million to "start up".
Guess which deal will fly.