Transit Services

Expanded Service Effective January 2, 2022

BC Transit and the City of Kamloops are informing riders that transit service is expanding on a number of key transit routes in the Kamloops Transit System effective January 2, 2022.

During the week, there will be a bus every 15 minutes during peak times, and service at least every 30 minutes during non-peak times on the following routes: 1 Tranquille, 7 Aberdeen, and 9 Gleneagles. Service is also increasing on these routes in the early morning and late evening.

Service level improvements are also being implemented on Saturdays and Sundays on 1 Tranquille, 7 Aberdeen, and 9 Gleneagles. Minor adjustments are being made to weekday and weekend schedules on all routes to better serve the community.

These service changes are being implemented based on recommendations contained in the Kamloops Transit Future Action Plan. Detailed ridership analysis was completed to better match service to customer demand.

For information about bus routes and schedules in Kamloops please visit bctransit.com/kamloops.

NEW: Beginning November 20, 2023, new Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL) hardware will be installed on buses in the Kamloops Transit System. New digital full-colour passenger information displays will also be installed inside all heavy-duty buses. These displays will offer trip information to passengers including multiple upcoming stops, current route, and service alerts.

There are expected to be no service interruptions during the replacement process, and riders will continue to have the ability to use smart mobile devices and desktop services to see the real-time location of their bus along its route and its predicted arrival time at an identified stop.

Customers are also advised that the NextRide desktop trip planning tool will no longer be available starting November 20, 2023. Customers wanting to plan their trip should use the BC Transit website and other real-time trip planning applications such as:

the Transit App (mobile only);
Google Maps (desktop and mobile);
their own favourite trip planning app; or
refer to the rider’s guide.

By downloading the Transit App, customers know exactly when their bus will arrive and allow them to see how full a bus is at any given time. This spring, BC Transit also started providing riders with free subscriptions to Transit Royale, an upgrade to the existing version of the Transit app, which now provides a wider geographical range for real-time bus tracking, a view of the full transit schedule instead of just short-term departures and fun, interactive features to make the transit journey more enjoyable.

For up-to-the-minute rider information, download the Transit App, or sign-up for route-specific email advisories at bctransit.com/kamloops/schedules-and-maps/alerts.

COVID-19 Updates

Rider and driver well-being is a top priority for the City of Kamloops and BC Transit, and we have put measures in place for safe, reliable transportation during this unprecedented time. We will continue to take the lead from Health Canada, the Province of BC, and BC Transit. Read more below about the measures put in place by BC Transit to align with BC's Restart Plan.

Learn more at bctransit.com/covid19.

BC Transit Recovery Plan Bus Etiquette

Kamloops transit is a leader in the BC Transit Municipal Systems Program and provides both regular transit and handyDART custom transit services. Services are co-funded through the partnership between the City and BC Transit. Whether you are a regular rider or someone new to the service, you will find all the information you need to make transit your transportation choice at BCTransit.com.

BC Transit - Kamloops

Kamloops Transit 101

From time to time bus routes are impacted due to construction, traffic accidents or other unforeseen incidents. The City and BC Transit do their best to communicate and understand that a late bus has implications to ridership and each individual's personal schedules.

The answer as to why buses are late is actually complicated. There are some common reasons as to why:

Road traffic can be difficult to predict. Traffic accidents, road construction and large public events can lead to unexpected traffic jams.
We don't want buses to be early. Ideally, the City's bus operator strives to have a bus arrive just in time, but this is not always possible due to road traffic. A bus arriving early is actually much worse than a bus arriving late. When a bus arrives early, riders miss the bus as it is out of schedule and this results in riders having to wait for the next scheduled bus.
Buses need schedules. Not only does this allow riders to know when to expect a bus, it allows for planning not only for a rider but also for the operating company. Believe it or not, the City works closely with the operating company to review route schedules, timing, and capacity at multiple times throughout the year to make adjustments based on ridership demand.

Below are some common occurrences that riders face and that the operating company strives to mitigate.

Late buses occur because bus routes are inherently unstable. When the buses are on schedule, everything seems to work fine. They travel from stop to stop, waiting at each for passengers to board or alight; however, once a bus gets behind schedule (i.e. construction delays, traffic accidents, etc.), its nearly impossible for it to get back on track (affecting the entire system, because – interlining).
When something like a construction project is going on, it’s best to compare the bus to a car, rather than a train. When one bus is experiencing delays because of traffic, there is very little that the driver can do to make up time – compared to a rapid or train line which is entirely removed from the situation because they are travelling along an entirely different transportation network.
Wouldn’t it be most efficient if the buses ran nonstop – an operator drives his route and immediately goes back the opposite direction? Unfortunately, no.
If you run buses nonstop you would no longer have a fixed schedule; riders require a schedule so they can make transfers to other services and have some idea of bus arrival at their stop. Without a schedule riders wouldn’t know when to expect the buses.
One of the challenges of interlining is that incidents or construction delays, for example, the slowing down Route 1 could result in a delay in service on route 9. However, with any serious delay, the operating company is involved from the beginning and is in communication with the City to makes adjustments on the road to ensure that service interruptions are minimal.

Resources

Schedules and Maps
Fare Information, including ProPASS, U-PASS, and monthly passes
HandyDART or call 250-376-7525
Transportation Programs
General Information or call 250-376-1216

Active Transportation

2024 City Calendar available now!

City of Kamloops

Transit Services