There will be a 3000-hour increase in bus service levels coming to Kamloops as of September 1.

The service change will expand some weekend and holiday service while also enhancing ongoing service reliability on key routes connecting to Thompson Rivers University.

“And so the 7 and the 9 connect [to TRU] directly, and then the Number 1 Tranquille as well goes through the downtown and to the North Shore,” said BC Transit Communications Manager, Jonathan Dyck.

“This is really to accomplish those two goals of addressing service reliability which is meeting on time performance and also expanding weekend and holiday service in the system.”

Dyck says there’s been a six per cent increase in ridership right across B.C., noting in Kamloops has seen an increase both at the Lansdowne Exchange as well as at TRU.

“What we find in a lot of transit systems across the province is that due to congestion on the roadways or construction, there are times that the service isn’t as reliable as it can be,” Dyck said.

“And that’s one of the keys that we want to be able to provide is a reliable service, where when we say the bus is going to show up at a certain time, it’s actually there and you are able to get on the bus.”

The expansion in service in Kamloops will mean about 120,000 hours of transit service a year, with Dyck noting there are future expansions planned to meet the growing demand.

Service increases at a glance:

• Service improvements on route 1 Tranquille, route 7 Aberdeen, and route 9 Gleneagles
• Weekend peak-hour service frequency increase on routes 7 Aberdeen, and 9 Gleneagles
• Service hour extension on routes 1 Tranquille, 7 Aberdeen, and 17 Dallas
• Route 10 North Shore TRU Express improvements