On Jan. 9, Thompson Bus co-founder Jimmy Pelk talked to Thompson Chamber of Commerce members about the status of the transportation company that began operating in October 2018.
According to Pelk, Thompson Bus has already made 172 trips from Thompson to Winnipeg using their fleet of six 53-passenger highway coaches.
Their staff currently consists of 18 members, including eight drivers with over 75 years of experience between them.
While Thompson Bus already makes stops in Cross Lake, Gilliam and Split Lake, Pelk said they are planning to expand their routes to include locations such as Lynn Lake in the first or second quarter of 2019.
Finally, Pelk mentioned that Thompson Bus will establish a local driver training school in the fourth quarter of the year, which will accommodate Class 1, Class 2 and Class 3 drivers.
“Thompson Bus and Freight is excited that we’re going to be able to provide that service,” said Pelk. “With lots of transition through Vale, transition from one type of job to another type of job, there’s a big need for qualified, trained drivers.”
Thompson Bus was the first local transportation company to emerge after Greyhound made its July 9 announcement that it would cut all but one of its routes in Western Canada by Halloween.
