GERTIE: Gabriola's Community Bus Service

Please help GERTIE make her voice louder and stronger. Send a message to the candidate(s) of your choice asking them what they will do if elected to ensure that GERTIE gets her share of the federal money sent to the provinces to support public transit during the pandemic. GERTIE has spoken to our current MLA and has had several meetings with MOTI but to no avail. Ask for a prompt response.  Even if you have already voted by mail, please shout out for GERTIE.

Talking points:

• As an essential service, GERTIE has been operating throughout the pandemic.

• Following the lead of Translink and BC Transit, GERTIE operated for 10 weeks during the early stages without collecting fares.

• Passenger loads have been averaging around 45% of last year’s figures.

• Charter revenue is virtually wiped out.

• 40% of GERTIE’s annual revenue comes from fares, charters, donations and small grants.

• GERTIE is currently in service about 66 hours a week, excluding overtime from ferry delays.

• The RDN funding from your property taxes is based on 48 hours of service weekly.

• Unlike TransLink and BC Transit, community bus systems receive NO provincial funding.

Please help to keep GERTIE on the road. Let’s all shout together.

GERTIE has made a small schedule update to the first AM bus route.

Instead of going out to Twin Beaches after dropping passengers at the ferry for 7:20, the bus will go directly to the village, arriving 7:28.

Therefore, there will be no Twin Beaches service on the first AM bus route. The bus will leave the village at 7:55 on the second run and will cover the route as scheduled, including Twin Beaches.

This change will be more convenient for those incoming ferry passengers who want to go directly to the village and will help reduce the increased congestion with two school buses.

Wondering whether there are schedule changes or other news that you don’t want to miss? Sign up for Gertie Alerts and be the first to know what’s new.

In these uncertain times, GERTIE must respond to changing circumstances but getting the word out quickly to our riders is challenging. Now you can be the first to know of any changes.

Sign up for Gertie Alerts with a click here.

On June 3rd, 2013, Gertie went into service with volunteer bus drivers. Now, 7 years later, during a situation we could not have foreseen, Gertie continues to serve our community faithfully. Given that situation, we cannot hold a celebration, so enjoy a slice of this magnificent virtual cake. Yummy!

To keep Gertie drivers and passengers as safe as possible, Gertie has been operating without charging fares for the last 10 weeks. When you’ve finished enjoying your cake, could you take a minute more to go to Support and send Gertie a donation? Thank you.

Starting on Monday, June 1, 2020 you will need to pay your fare to ride on Gertie once again. Please use tickets or passes rather than cash. Tickets and passes are for sale at Nester’s and the Co-op.

Fare collection was suspended for April and May to help minimize contact with Gertie drivers. To help protect the driver and fellow passengers, we strongly encourage you to wear a mask while on the bus. Masks are available on the bus at no charge. If you wear one, others are likely to do so too.

Gertie would be grateful for donations to help defray the expenses of providing bus service at this time. To donate, go to Support.

On Monday morning, May 25, 2020 Gertie will be running on a modified morning schedule.

The first A run (Silva Bay express) will be arriving at the ferry at 7:20. The bus will then go out to Twin Beaches and return to the ferry for 7:35. The second B run (to Hemlock mailboxes) will run as usual.

To see the detailed schedule:

Gertie is still operating on the regular schedule. We know you depend on Gertie to get to work, to the ferry, or to the village for shopping and other errands. GERTIE drivers are dedicated to serving you.

GERTIE bus service will be discontinued IF BC Transit in Nanaimo is discontinued.

If there is illness on the island, GERTIE may consider discontinuing or reducing service.

Should it become necessary to reduce service, we will post notice here and on Facebook.

In the meantime, we are doing our best to keep all our riders and drivers safe. After every shift, drivers will be disinfecting all commonly touched surfaces such as door handles, grab bars, fare boxes, tops of seats, etc. We will also be continuing our regular cleaning and sanitizing.

You can help too. Please, do not ride the bus if you are feeling unwell from any cause. Wash your hands regularly. Spread yourselves out as much as possible on the bus.

Gertie thanks you. Be well!