The Rossland Ski Bus will be back on the road this season, but there are some changes this year.
Users will now pay a small fee to take the popular ride to the ski hill when service begins this weekend.
A free service since it began in 2013, the board of Tourism Rossland decided it shouldn’t be in the transportation business, and has handed off the service to Kootenay Mountain Shuttles.
Tourism Rossland will continue to contribute $27,000 to the service, while resorts on Red Mountain will also help cover part of the cost.
But the corporate donations don’t cover all the cost. Kootenay Mountain Shuttles will charge a small fee and sell season passes for regular users. Single riders will pay $2, 10 rides will cost $15, and season passes will be $75. Corporate passes and advertising opportunities are also available.
“The bus plays a valuable role in our community during the winter months, enabling our guests to move around with ease and encouraging them to get out of their accommodations,” said Natasha Lockey of Kootenay Mountain Shuttles.
The company will run the service on the half-hour at peak periods, then on the hour with express service in between for 12 hours a day.
It will run from the Prestige Mountain Resort to the RED Mountain Resort. Additionally, the company will test an after-hours safe-ride home service as well.
More than 23,000 skiers took rides on the shuttle to the hill last year.