New Bus Keeps Northern Health Rollin’
Monday, September 24, 2012 @ 3:44 PM
New, eco-friendly bus unveiled today ( photo-250News)
Prince George, B.C. – Northern Health has added a new bus to its fleet of Northern Connections coaches.
Diversified Transportation, which supplies the buses, will replace an older ( 2007 model) with the new, more fuel efficient model.
The new coach still has all the features of the other coaches which carry Northern Health patients to their appointments with specialists in other communities, but, there are some added attractions.
The new bus has seatbelts, a new addition to all the new Diversified Transportation Coaches. In keeping with the safety theme, the bus has been outfitted with the Prevost Aware system, which uses advanced technology to automatically adjust the speed to maintain a safe distance from other traffic.
The bus also has extra leg room, room for up to four wheelchairs, wheelchair accessible washrooms, in-seat audio system with three satellite radio stations, oversized video screens with an on board DVD player, and a 110 volt AC outlet at each seat for medical devices, laptops and other electronics.
The Northern Health Connections fleet consists of 11 buses – six coach style which are used for long haul routes and five mini buses for short haul routes.
The new bus is also more eco-friendly. The new model engine delivers near zero emissions of particulates and is said to be seven times more energy and fuel efficient than single occupancy automobiles.
Last year, more than 12,000 Northern Health patients used the service, that’s a 14% increase over the ridership recorded in 2010.
Northern Health Connections saw a 14 per cent increase in ridership in 2011 over 2010, with more than 12,000 residents utilizing the service. 2012 is also showing strong ridership increases.
Comments
Is this bus comparable to the ones that the Shriners run for taking children to the Shriners Hospitals?
Still cheaper and easier to get more really cool buses rather than get doctors to move here and set up their practises. On the upside, this new bus will probably pollute less than all those doctors moving here with their swell expensive and cool gas-guzzling SUVs. Too bad they cannot use the buses to bring the doctors up here.
This is an excellent service, providing low cost transportation for those who need it. I have heard many positive comments about this, and I think it is a wonderful benefit to the many British Columbians who do not reside near the big smoke.
metalman.
I find it difficult to understand that our health providers would spend money on such transportation. Our hospitals are overcrowded and need more space for those that are sick
The sick have now besome pawns that are shuffled around the province on an elaborate bussing system. We need those busses like a hole in the nead. Give me a Break.
Cheers
Retired – actually there are specialists in the lower mainland that there are simply not enough patients with thier particular area to warrant one being up here in PG or anywhere else in the North. We cannot expect to afford to have a specialist in the North for every conceivable rare disorder or disease. For those on limited incomes (like my father) use this service for a highly affordable means of getting down to see the doctors that they need to. Its really an excellent service. They can do the interviews and prescreaning over Skype and then get on this bus and be dropped off at the doorstep of the hospital to receive treatment or further evaluation. I hope you dont ever need to use it.
The Northern Health Connections fleet consists of 11 buses.
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I guess my question is ,how many plane tickets would the cost of 11 buses buy”. And how many of these patients that ride these buses actually need to use them?
What i’m saying there is so much abuse in our medical services that this expenditure is just great. Most of our Doctors are just coverinmg their butt on many of the referals.
My Doctor moonlights at tne hospital and wamnts me to visit a lab every three months. My health for my age is very good so I probably will never use these big lemons. So your wish will proably come true intersepter.
What we need is better doctors and better management of our health care system and there are those who will never have enough health care.
Cheers
I get where you are coming from Retired and I agree that there is alot of waste in the health care field. This service leaves Prince George basically full from my experience. We just flew down to Vancouver for wok seminars and it was $400 each way. And thats just airport to airport – there are still cabs or shuttles required in between. Not to mention the wheelchair accessibility. I havent done a complete cost analysis but I think these busses are a bargain.
ps – dont take that last comment as insultive, I truly do hope you (or anyone else) doesnt ever need this service.
I have used it. It is great. Sure beats waiting one year or more fer cataract surgery.
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