The Maritime Bus Terminal was out of the way for students. But now with the new location at the corner of Smythe and Dundonald, students are excited about how much closer to campus it is.
Although the new bus location isn’t directly downtown like it used to be, it’s certainly a more ideal location for students than Woodside Lane, located on the outskirts of Fredericton.
“Basically you had to take a bus to get to the bus,” said STU student Gisele Lundrigan. “The bus that goes up to Hanwell went like twice a day and you were either really early or you missed your ride home. Cabbing there was just impractical and too expensive for us students.”
Mike Cassidy, the owner of Maritime Bus, said he had received many e-mails and calls from customers complaining about the Fredericton, Saint John, and Dartmouth locations. He knew he had to make changes, especially with such a high student population.
But the search for a new location wasn’t easy.
“We searched everywhere we could,” said Cassidy. “We went to the Irving Station, but they weren’t willing to rent. We went to the exhibition grounds, we went to Prospect Street, but finally Enterprise Rent-A-Car decided to make a move to a different location and when the opportunity popped up, we knew we had to take it.”
Students can choose from five buses a day at the new terminal. They each have departure times that avoid busy mornings and afternoon rush hours.
Unlike the previous out-of-the-way, dark and isolated bus terminal off Hanwell Road, Cassidy said this new location is very visible with streetlights that surround the station. Students can easily find a city transit bus to bring them down to Smythe Street, he said.
“Being a student, you’re on a tight budget and miss your family,” said STU student Bonnie Wilson, who frequently uses Maritime Bus to get home to her family in Saint John. “Being able to visit them makes you feel better and helps you do better in school.”
