The City of Fernie has renewed its agreement with Tunnel 49 Adventures Inc. to run a winter shuttle service for the second year.
The shuttle service takes riders from various locations in the city to Fernie Alpine Resort using city-owned buses.
CAO Michael Boronowski says the service was quite popular last winter.
“Ridership continues to increase, with over 10,500 tickets sold last season, up from about 6,800 the winter season before,” said Boronowski.
The partnership is endorsed by Tourism Fernie, working alongside Tunnel 49 and City staff to review the reporting process and prepare for the upcoming season.
The three buses were purchased by the City with funds from the B.C. Government’s Resort Municipality Initiative.
Under the agreement, Tunnel 49 must pay for maintenance and upkeep of the buses, but they will be able to keep all any profits gained through their operations.
Boronowski says the shuttle service can be used by both residents and tourists.
“We’re supporting fewer single occupancy vehicles on the highway and we’re supporting the tourism sector where this operates,” said Boronowski.
Tunnel 49 will operate the winter shuttle buses from November 26 to April 25.
Be the first to know! Don’t miss out on breaking news and daily updates in your area. Sign up to MyEastKootenayNow News Alerts.