P.E.I. - Nova Scotia shuttle service to end Friday

Maritime Bus shuttle service between P.E.I. and Nova Scotia will make its last run Friday.

Since the Confederation Bridge opened in 1997, shuttle service has been offered to bring Islanders to Halifax.

Many passengers have taken the bus regularly for years, to travel to medical appointments, the Halifax airport, or to and from university in the city.

Driver Gary Meyers has been making the run 13 hour days,5 or 6 times a week for the last 17 years. He knows every crack and bump on the road between Charlottetown and Halifax.

He said while the service will be missed by the regular customers, it was no longer profitable for the company to run both shuttle and bus service.

'A much nicer experience'

Rider Ron Collier has taken the shuttle since it first started running 20 years ago, to get to and from work with the coast guard.

He said he prefers the shuttle over the bus because of the door to door service it offers.

"The comfort and the personal interaction with the driver, it's just a much nicer experience than any other," he said.

The bus requires passengers to switch vehicles in Amherst, N.S., takes longer, and does not offer direct service to the hospitals in Halifax.

Maritime Bus owner Mike Cassidy said the company will replace the shuttle with a third bus run off the Island, and offer more trips per day.

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