The Denman Island Bus Service (DIBS) is funded by the Comox Valley Regional District, under a contract with Denman Works Economic Enhancement Society. The service is part of the CVRD bus system of about 13 bus routes throughout the Comox Valley. The challenge of bus service on Denman Island is to reconcile integration of Hornby/Denman into a broader regional transit network, with local community needs. The need for a community-focused service is driven by such factors as the desire to support year-round community events and entertainment as well as an aging population faced with a potential loss of independence.
DIBS is managed by a Coordinator, Sam Borthwick, who heads a team of drivers. The Coordinator is responsible for all operational aspects, includng routes and schedules, vehicle maintenance, driver roster, scheduling, fuel, and not least, promotion. The board of Denman Works provides administrative support and planning, working with a Transportation committee that includes volunteers.
The DIBS Team 2024
Coodinator: Sam Borthwick
Promotion & Marketing:
Drivers: Lindsay Harrison, Dave Hansen, Richard Hutchings, Keiran Meagher, and Jen Minter
Transportation Committee: Tony Gregson (DW Chair), Julie Geremia (director), Patrice Leblanc (Volunteer)
History
A Denman bus service was first mooted with the incorporation of Denman Island into the CVRD transportation plan in 2014 as a cross-island service connecting Hornby with Vancouver Island. Nothing more happened until Hornby Island led the way by buying their own bus and starting a round island service in 2016. This service operates during the summer when Hornby becomes very busy with tourists and depended on volunteers and business sponsors to a significant extent. Although crossing Denman between the two ferries has always presented a challenge to foot passengers, a service on Denman did not become a reality until the CVRD provided significant funding of $100,000 a year for three years, shared equally between Hornby and Denman, starting in 2021.
At the outset, the CVRD contracted with a commercial transportation vendor, Ambassador Transportation, to provide a 24-seat shuttle bus cycling round the southern part of Denman between Gravelly Bay and Denman West Terminals. Denman Works was contracted to provide operational support. A Transportation Committee of board and volunteers, helped plan routes and schedules, provide bus stop signage, and promotion. The service ran at the height of the summer visitor season, from July 1st to Labour Day, and carried about 500 passengers. In addition, Denman Works conducted the Denman Island Transit Survey, to research bus usage and future tranportation needs.
From the outset, there was a strong desire to see a community, resident-focused service, rather than a through-bus service for visitors, necessary as that may be. As a result, a community service was piloted in 2022. In addition to a contract for the summer visitor service with Ambassador, Denman Works leased a passenger sedan from Ambassador. Commuity service included a circuit through the northlands of Denman, as well as a more elaborate Sourthern route that included side roads to popular summer spots. The community pilot ran from June to September. The summer service ran from July to Labour Day and held its own, with 500 passengers, but did not grow. The community service got only 250 riders. There were several lessons. Since the Northlands circuit got almost no riders, the community service should focus on the south island. It should own its own vehicle which had several beneffits: reduced costs, increased flexibility, and an opportuity to develop a distinctive branding. With this in mind, DIBS was very fortunate to find an an eight-seat half-school bus that fall.
In 2023, the CVRD turned over responsibility for all aspects of the bus service to Denman Works as the sole contractor. The distinctive brand of the Skuttlebus was developed with a warm red bus and a crab logo. The service ran from May to Labour Day and succeeded beyond all expectations, carrying over 3,000 passengers. More than half the riders were residents. Testimonials and web comments were overwhelmingly appreciative. In addition to the branding, DIBS matured in other ways with installation of its own diesel fueling station, branded bus stops, some decorated in engamement with the community, and community support from Mainroad which allowed the bus to park and use wash facilities at its depot.
Reports and Surveys
Denman Island Transportation Survey
by Chili Leblanc-Wulff
25 Aug 2021
Download from Denman Works Library (Google Drive) in the folder Community Bus:
Denman Island Community Summer Bus Pilot – July 1 – Sept 6, 2021
by Denman Works Transportation Committee.
25 Sept 2021
Download from Denman Works Library (Google Drive) in the folder Community Bus: