To maintain affordable fares, Maritime Bus is seeking regulatory approval to make changes to its licences and services.
The company has applied to the New Brunswick Energy and Utilities Board and the Nova Scotia Regulatory and Appeals Board to modify how it prices bus fares and to formally approve several service adjustments.
Coach Atlantic/Maritime Bus provides intercity bus service across the Maritimes and has operated 20 routes linking communities in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and P.E.I., for more than 14 years.
In an interview with Acadia Broadcasting on April 21, Mike Cassidy, owner of Coach Atlantic/Maritime Bus, said the company is not planning to raise its base fares. Instead, it is looking to introduce dynamic pricing for last-minute ticket purchases.
“We’ve had a base price for years. We don’t want to change the base price, but if you are leaving on Sunday and you don’t book your ticket until Saturday, then perhaps the price may be a little higher for Sunday,” he said.
According to a notice of motion from the New Brunswick Energy and Utilities Board, the company is asking to maintain its existing base rates for tickets purchased at least 48 hours before departure. It is seeking flexibility to increase fares by up to 35 per cent for tickets bought closer to departure time.
Cassidy said dynamic pricing would help the company better plan its schedules and understand travel demand. He added it would also help manage operational pressures, including rising fuel costs.
“What I’m doing today, I want to make sure I’m able to do it tomorrow with my management team and employees, because we believe in customer service,” he said.
Maritime Bus has already received approval through a separate application to introduce a fuel surcharge ranging from 8.5 per cent to 13.5 per cent for all passengers. The surcharge took effect April 15.
The company is also proposing to introduce new refundable and non-refundable fare options. Refundable tickets would be subject to a fee, with a minimum charge of $5 and a maximum of 20 per cent of the ticket price.
Cassidy said customers already receive credit toward future travel if they are unable to make their trips, but added customers wanted more options.
With the introduction of refundable and non-refundable fares, Cassidy said customers would have the option to purchase fully refundable tickets.
Other proposed changes include reducing the minimum service frequency on the Halifax-Moncton route to two daily trips from three, while maintaining the midday run in each direction.
Cassidy said the company is already operating at that level and is seeking formal approval from the boards.
He said since the COVID-19 pandemic, the company has operated with reduced frequency on certain routes, particularly Halifax-Moncton. That route was previously part of a broader service connecting the Maritimes to Quebec, which the company has not been able to restore.
“As a bus company, you need your frequencies on busy long weekends and during the summer travel season, and you have to be able to match your frequency and those who travel in your bus, so you are not travelling with empty buses” he said.
According to the application, dropping one daily trip would not affect most customers, as 80 to 85 per cent of passengers choose the midday departure over morning or evening options.
The company added that it will add additional trips as demand warrants.
Maritime Bus application will be reviewed by the New Brunswick Energy and Utilities Board and the Nova Scotia Regulatory and Appeals Board during a public hearing held by videoconference on June 18.
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