The Scottish transport operator FirstGroup has been accused by Canada's government of acting like a "bullying multinational" by slashing rural routes on its Greyhound Canada bus network, in a cost-cutting move that risks leaving far-flung towns bereft of regular links to the rest of the country.
Greyhound, which was bought by FirstGroup as part of its $3.6bn (£2.2bn) takeover of the US group Laidlaw two years ago, has announced that it intends to withdraw from a large chunk of Canada, including the province of Manitoba and north-western parts of Ontario. Without government support to cover losses, the company said it might go further by cutting services in western Canada, which could include routes to cities such as Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton.
Continue reading...