CANADA, October 24 - More passengers are taking public transit, thanks to affordable routes connecting rural communities across Prince Edward Island. 

In September 2023, Islanders set a new monthly record with 11,633 one-way trips on rural transportation routes, a significant increase from the previous record of 9736 rides in August 2023.

“It’s encouraging to see more people getting on board with public transit. Government is investing so residents can benefit from an affordable, safe and reliable service. It’s encouraging to know that Islanders are integrating transit in their daily lives to get to work, post-secondary classes or visit communities across the province.”

- Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Ernie Hudson

Since launching in October 2021, the province’s rural transit service has created than 100 convenient bus stops from Tignish to Souris and transit provides an average of 8452 one-way trips every month. The availability of rural public transit is taking approximately 110 personal use vehicles off the road per day.

System wide trends for PEI Transit:

• PEI transit, including rural and capital region routes, averages more than 100,000 passenger fares every month. 
• The highest daily average is on the route between Summerside and Charlottetown which now sees an average of 208 daily one-way trips.
• The seasonal routes in Cavendish experienced a 28.8% increase in one-way trips during Summer 2023 compared to the same period in Summer 2022. 

“By getting more Islanders interested in reliable, affordable public transit, we can get more cars off the road over the long term,” said Environment, Energy and Climate Action Minister Steven Myers. “Reducing transportation emissions is a big factor in reaching our province’s nation-leading net zero goals.”

The Government of Prince Edward Island is working with municipal and community partners to meet the transit needs of our growing population. The cost of a one-way trip is $2. Monthly passes are also available for $20 for adults and $10 for seniors and post-secondary students. All transit routes are free for children and students k-12.

Media contact:
Katie Cudmore
Department of Environment, Energy and Climate Action
katiecudmore@gov.pe.ca