Huron Shores Area Transit is adding an extra bus on the London to Grand Bend Route this summer.
The new route is to meet the expected increase in ridership of day-trippers heading to the local beaches of Grand Bend, Pinery Provincial Park and Port Blake Day Park.
Transit Coordinator Susan Mills says last summer was really the first time people were getting out after the pandemic and that meant a sudden increase in ridership for people travelling from London to the local beaches.
“So this year we're being much more proactive. We are planning for that ridership increase. So we've planned for the extra bus and it will be running every Saturday and Sunday to respond to all the folks who want to come up and enjoy the area beaches," Mills stated
Mills says the extra bus will start running this Saturday, which is also Canada Day.
“The bus will run for a return trip starting from the London Transit bus stop number 705, which is on the Fanshawe Road opposite Masonville Mall and it'll just travel directly to the Sobey's Plaza bus stop in Grand Bend," explained Mills.
Mills says the bus will make that trip four times every Saturday and Sunday between 9:30 in the morning and 9:30 in the evening, so it will provide visitors a full day at the beach and it will run until the last Sunday in August.
Also, because it's a special summer bus, Mills notes it doesn't have a card reader on it, so riders will have to pay with cash. More information about the summer bus and schedules can be found at HuronShoresAreaTransit.ca.