Bristol’s Hope couple starts passenger van service from CBN to St. John’s
By Olivia Bradbury / Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Greg Somerton and Carol-Ann Garland previously ran a courier and logistics company in CBS. After losing their anchor contract, they sold the business and relocated to Bristol’s Hope with the goal of semi-retirement. However, the husband-and-wife duo insist entrepreneurship never leaves one’s blood. So, they have now taken on a new endeavour: a bus service that will run from Conception Bay North to St. John’s.
Initially, Somerton had started a part-time courier business after moving to Bristol’s Hope. Before long, people began expressing interest in whether they would also carry passengers. He and Garland conducted a survey that got a very positive response and began to consider the numbers. Somerton said the service is obviously needed in CBN. There is no public transport in the region other than taxis, which can be costly.
The couple’s bus service, Baccalieu Bus, charges a flat rate of $29.99. For that price, passengers can get on and disembark at any of the bus’s stops between CBN and St. John’s. The stops include, but are not limited to, College of the North Atlantic’s Carbonear Campus, the Baccalieu Trail Pharmacy in Spaniard’s Bay, the Avalon Mall, Health Sciences Centre, and St. John’s airport. Somerton, who got his Class 4 license for the business, will be the driver. He has a background in safety and driver’s training. Eventually, they hope to expand the service and hire more drivers.
Garland argued the region’s demographics point to the need for the service.
“I’m hearing about people wanting to retire out here, but transportation length I think is important, especially as people age,” she said. “You want to go to town, and you need to go to town for various reasons — although there’s everything we need out here – but there’s still occasions where you want to or have to go to town.”
Somerton said he has met people, including seniors, who only own a vehicle for the necessary trips to town once or twice a month. Garland added the bus service can help students who attend school in St. John’s come home on the weekends and holidays, and enable people travelling out of province to avoid leaving their vehicles at the airport.
The bus service runs from Monday to Friday. Passengers can book their travel online. If there are no pickups or drop-offs booked for a particular location, the bus will not stop there. There is storage on the bus — each passenger can take a personal item, such as a suitcase, and a carry-on free of charge. There is a charge for additional items. Baccalieu Bus is also offering package delivery. In CBN, people will have to bring their parcels to the bus stop. In St. John’s, pickup can be arranged. Somerton expects to partner with Penton’s Courier of St. John’s for this service. At the moment, they have not decided on the price for package delivery.
The bus itself is a 2024 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter. It seats 15 people including the driver, has rooftop air conditioning, and is tall enough to stand up inside. All seats have seatbelts. The vehicle has big windows, which Somerton noted do not provide visibility from the outside.
Somerton said he can help elderly passengers with mobility issues. They also plan to install running boards to make it easier to enter and exit. The service is not wheelchair accessible. “We’d like to be able to offer accessible service, but that’s probably where we’re going to need some help from the towns because that’s a really expensive option,” said Garland.