White Lightning Shopping Bus, a new free weekly rural transportation service in Kawartha Lakes, will begin operating on April 30, 2019.
The 20-passenger bus will run every Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., making stops at Valentia, Little Britain, Oakwood, Lindsay, Cameron, Long Beach, Fenelon Falls, Bobcaygeon, Dunsford, and Omemee.
The bus, nicknamed “White Lightning”, is owned by Michael Bryant and Pauline Kiely of Dromoland Stables in Little Britain, who also own the converted trolley that operated between downtown Peterborough and Peterborough Musicfest last summer.
“White Lightning Bus Tours will be filling a void for those looking to travel for tourism, shopping, attend medical appointments, visit family or the hospital, attend events, or join clubs,” states Bryant in a media release.
The bus service, which had a successful test run last summer, was launched with the assistance of Mike Perry, co-chair of the Kawartha Rural Transportation Working Group.
The White Lightning bus service is not associated with any municipal transit service, but it has been support by the Lindsay, Fenelon Falls, and Bobcaygeon Chambers of Commerce.
The service, which will be offered at no cost to riders, will be funded through advertising and donations and promoted by volunteer ambassadors. The bus is accessible, uses professional drivers, and is fully insured.
Future plans include expanding the service to include Woodville, Kirkfield, Coboconk, Pontypool, Janetville, and Bethany.
In addition to the free rural transportation service, Bryant and Kiely will be offering a paid tours to locations including Petroglyphs Provincial Park, The Canadian Canoe Museum, Kawartha Settlers’ Village, and more.
Bus schedules, including pick-up and drop-off locations, will be available soon.
For more information, call 1-800-979-2913 or visit www.whitelightningbus.tours.
