A grassroots bus service based out of Kaslo, B.C. is giving free rides to anyone who wants to go from Osoyoos to 琉璃神社 from Feb. 15 to 28.

The transportation business 鈥� Mountain Man Mike鈥檚 鈥� started in 2019 after the founder, Michael Hathaway, regularly participated in rideshare programs from Kaslo to Vancouver.

The route, from Osoyoos to 琉璃神社, is making a comeback after being suspended in September of 2021. And as a token of appreciation to the people who have used the service to get around the province for the last two years, Hathaway is offering free trips to anyone looking to take a trip through the Okanagan.

鈥淲e started with one bus and now we have eight,鈥� he said.

鈥淭he ridership on the route was really low before. But now we鈥檙e bringing it back and we want to get people talking 鈥� any travel from Osoyoos to 琉璃神社 will be free from Feb. 15 to 28.鈥�

Before Mountain Man Mike鈥檚 was founded, the owner would spend a lot of the road travelling around the province. Joining him on the B.C. roads would be people needing to get around as much as he did.

鈥淚 was a rideshare provider for 12 years,鈥� Hathaway explained. 鈥淚 had a father who was ill and in the hospital and needed to go Vancouver once a week.

鈥淲hen the Greyhound system dropped, I went from having two or three people to a waitlist of 20 people who wanted to go to Vancouver and that鈥檚 how the company started.鈥�

Since then, the transit service has expanded with various new routes.

Among those is a trip from Vancouver to Calgary 鈥� a road trip that will cost an estimated $160, stopping once in Nelson.

As the company approaches its three-year anniversary, Hathaway couldn鈥檛 be more proud of the service he and his team have provided.

鈥淭here鈥檚 one lady who鈥檚 always on the bus. She has family in Vancouver and doesn鈥檛 have a vehicle so she always ends up on my bus.鈥�

logan.lockhart@pentictonwesternnews.com
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