‘It provides another option to get to the city in a less stressful manner than driving your car,’ says Coun. Luke Leatherdale of new FlixBus pact
A new way to get from Orillia to Toronto is coming in June through a partnership between the City of Orillia and FlixBus, a low-cost carrier.
“Intercity transit services will provide Orillia residents and visitors with additional transportation options into and out of the city,” said Danielle Eves, Orillia’s manager of parking and transit.
Starting June 1, FlixBus will be using the Ontario Northland stop at the Orillia terminal on West Street, adjacent to the Orillia Public Library and Orillia Opera House parking lot.
FlixBus service will run as a pilot project until Oct. 31, with an option to extend for one year, Eves added. The service will be offered five days a week — Thursdays through Mondays — with two daily stops — at 12:40 and 7:20 p.m. with a dwell time of 10 minutes.
Coun. Luke Leatherdale said city staff have been working with FlixBus on this agreement over the last couple months.
“The most exciting aspect is getting people from Orillia to Toronto cheaply and stress-free. It provides another option to get to the city in a less stressful manner than driving your car,” said Leatherdale, a member of the transportation and parking working group.
Fares from Barrie to Toronto currently start at $21. The cost for the Orillia to Toronto route is predicted to be a few dollars more, although Flix hasn’t released the fare, as of yet.
“For the price of parking your car in Toronto, you can get the bus,” said Leatherdale.
Flix will also be providing the city with more information about routes in the near future, but Leatherdale said the main service will be to Toronto. Information about Orillia stops, destinations, connections and fares will soon be available on the FlixBus website.
There will be no discount in combination of FlixBus and Orillia Transit together, Eves said.
Last January, the Toronto to Sudbury route added a stop at Horseshoe Valley Resort, Thursdays through Mondays.
“The stop expands FlixBus’s Toronto-Sudbury service, enhancing connectivity to key destinations such as downtown Barrie, Parry Sound, Port Severn, and Waubaushene,” read a Flix press release at the time.
“By adding Horseshoe Valley Resort to the route, the service improves access for travellers from Toronto and surrounding areas, making it easier for more people to enjoy one of the province’s top resorts,” it read.
“This new stop is an opportunity to give travellers a simpler, more affordable way to access one of Ontario’s most beloved resorts,” said Karina Frayter, head of communications at Flix North America.
Flix was founded in 2011 by André Schwämmlein, the Germany based chief executive officer, as a travel-tech company combining sustainability with affordable travel.
Flix is now operating in more than 40 countries through FlixBus, Flixtrain, Greyhound (in North America) and Kâmil Koç (in Turkey), serving millions of passengers annually. The travel giant is also expanding further in South America and the Asia-Pacific region.
“Flix addresses an ever-growing long-distance bus and train market driven by increased awareness for the environment in society and aims to achieve Net Zero operations in Europe by 2040 and globally by 2050. In addition, Flix has committed to the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), a universally recognized scientific framework, establishing near-term targets to reduce its impact already by 2032,” reads its website.