Transport committee  Many carriers have reservation systems now through which we can share our information and have seamless travel for parcels and passengers, but we need a communication platform. Yes, for sure, if you're going to do any form of interlining, you need a communication system for all carriers.

Transport committee  Well, you're certainly right. We have to talk nationally, but before we talk nationally, let's get the regional house in order. You need sustainable bus carriers regionally before we can go nationally, and there are many good operations in this country. We heard today about where we have gaps, and I agree with the gaps that have been identified, but before we start talking full public, public-private or full private, let's understand what we have and take inventory of it.

Transport committee  It is very important when we talk about intermodal transport. When we started 10 years ago, we made sure that we were in the same terminal as Via Rail in Moncton, New Brunswick, and in Halifax, Nova Scotia. On the surface it sounds great—ground transportation, bus, rail—but unfortunately we used to have interlining from Ontario through to the Maritime provinces train with our bus system.

Transport committee  No. I think when we do discuss it.... We are just two committed individuals in this business. Our sole intent is public transit on provincial highways. From DRL in your province of Newfoundland and Labrador, we do get passengers getting on the ferry. We can meet in North Sydney and we can transfer back and forth.

Transport committee  We've had 18 years in the bus business. Our line run anniversary tomorrow is ten years. If it wasn't for the federal government's wage subsidies and rent subsidies and their government guaranteed loan and working capital programs that were put in place—and Mr. Rogers, if it wasn't for the Province of Nova Scotia, the Province of New Brunswick and the Province of Prince Edward Island subsidizing and assisting Maritime Bus in 2020-21—our operating losses would be much greater than what they were in that two-year period.

Transport committee  We had these challenges, Mr. Rogers, well before COVID. Well before, if you consider labour shortages. These items have been discussed for years. Jason Roberts of DRL and I have spent time together. We can talk about Canada and we can talk about national systems, but we are regional in our country.

Transport committee  It should be a working collaboration, done no differently from what we've done here in the maritime provinces. We have the four provinces speaking to the federal government on what kind of model can we have for the Atlantic provinces. It's a “working together” model.

Transport committee  In my opening remarks we had the letter from the four Atlantic provinces, in which, to their minds, jurisdiction is not a problem. They are willing to assist. They are willing to collaborate with the federal government. I think that is very important. This is not an issue of jurisdiction.

Transport committee  Thank you very much. Electrification will be coming to the bus industry in the future, but when we think of electrification on a motorcoach, we have to think of range and we have to think of battery storage. The battery storage is underneath our bus, where you usually see suitcases or parcels when it comes to the line-run business.

Transport committee  Thank you, Mr. Lewis. Definitely not. There has never been a shortage during the history we've been involved with in the line run or intercity busing. Tomorrow we celebrate our 10th anniversary here in the Maritimes after Orléans surrendered their motor carrier rights in 2012, and our challenges have never been mechanics and/or drivers.

Transport committee  Thank you. Intercity busing is a very low-margin, highly capital-intensive industry with many well-documented financial challenges. In 2012, Orléans Express tells the maritime region that it has to surrender its motor carrier rights due to losing two million dollars a year. In 2014, Orléans tells the Quebec government that it's losing $3.5 million a year risking low-revenue routes in the province of Quebec.

Finance committee  In our industry, if you sit with a motor vehicle, especially after two years, we're estimating that it's going to be $20,000 to $25,000 per motorcoach to get that coach up, willing and able to go to work in 2022. If there was a loan that could be put in place per motorcoach, that amount of money could get help us get our coaches ready, willing and able.

Finance committee  Thank you very much, Ms. May. It dates back to the summer of 2012, when we had one of the largest transportation companies in the world, Keolis, which owns Orléans in Quebec and used to own Acadian Lines in Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick. They stated in the summer of 2012 that they were going to surrender their motor carrier rights and leave the maritime provinces, because they were losing $2 million a year.

Finance committee  Yes, it would be a start. I don't mean to just use the 10% example. With the total operating costs and the revenues that we need have for sustainability, I do not feel.... Within our industry, that 10% would be welcomed, but in the intercity component, it would not be sufficient to carry us.

Finance committee  That's a very good question. For a refundable, what I would be scared of is the amount. When you take a $600,000 motorcoach, for example, what would the percentage be? When we look at the public transit infrastructure fund, in many cases there's the 40¢ federal dollars in this program.