Tour bus traffic in Oak Bay can be a double-edged sword
Tour buses such as the Big Bus (above) that stop in the village bring tourists and revenue, Oak Bay Avenue business owners say.
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Royal Blue Line closes shop, Big Bus expands run
Uplands residents won’t have to worry about tour buses travelling through their neighbourhood this summer.
Royal Blue Line, which ran tours through the exclusive area last year and came under fire from Ripon Road residents, has suspended operations in Victoria for the 2009 summer season.
The move was “due to current economic conditions and a forecasted decline in tourists travelling to Victoria,” said Ian Robertson, spokesperson for Gray Line West, Blue Line’s Vancouver-based parent company.
Royal Blue Line was among the tour operators Ripon residents complained about last year, saying the buses were smelly and noisy. The company switched its route to Lansdowne Road in 2008 as a result. The company had operated six vintage double decker buses, but decided not to hire back 10 seasonal employees this year.
Blethering Place owner Ken Agate has spoken up for tour buses, saying the buses that travel a route through Uplands and the village bring tourism dollars into the business end. Connie Welch, owner of Connie’s Petites, agreed.
“Tourists get off the bus, come in the store, wander around town and hop back on the bus. They seem quite happy to be here,” she said.
Jerry Dolejs is the owner of Big Bus Victoria. He runs three open-top buses and one enclosed trolley every 30 minutes that offer 90-minute tours of Victoria, including Oak Bay. The stop in Oak Bay village is the most popular point on the tour, he says. Operating in Victoria for three years, unlike Royal Blue Line, Dolejs has seen an increase in business.
“We’re doing great, fantastic, believe or not – better than last year,” he said.
This week, Dolejs will add another bus, allowing the tours to leave every 22 minutes from downtown.
Ripon Road resident David Boulter led the charge last year against the tour buses. Although Royal Blue Line’s demise doesn’t affect him, he said he felt badly for the drivers who weren’t re-hired this year.
Although Welch appreciates some tour buses in Oak Bay, she isn’t sorry to see the end of the diesel buses.
“They’d stop and the whole store would fill up with fumes. It was horrible,” she said.
vmoreau@saanichnews.com
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