School bus enlisted temporarily to help move Sydney cruise ship passengers

A school bus could soon be shuttling passengers between cruise ship piers in Sydney, N.S., but just on a temporary basis.

Nicole MacAulay, manager of cruise for the Port of Sydney Development Corporation, said the port used to provide a free shuttle service for passengers arriving at the second berth to get them to the main terminal where they can access shops and bus tours to attractions around Cape Breton.

But that became impossible this spring after the port's bus unexpectedly suffered a serious mechanical problem.

"We had reached out to the school board to cover off our dates for July and August," MacAulay said. "They're going through that process to help us out as we work for a longer-term plan for September and October."

The Joan Harriss Cruise Pavilion terminal is several hundred metres away from the second berth.

The Cape Breton-Victoria Regional Centre for Education has applied to the Nova Scotia Regulatory and Appeals Board for permission to temporarily operate a bus between the sites.

MacAulay said she hopes that will be approved soon. The next time more than one cruise ship will be in Sydney harbour is Aug. 4.

She said buying a new bus is expensive, and last week, when two cruise ships were in, the port had to hire a taxi company's vehicle and van for two days.

That meant shuttling passengers took longer than it normally would, but the weather was good, so many passengers opted to walk.

That's not always an option for those who have mobility issues, MacAulay said.

'Reviewing all options'

She said commercial bus operators on the island are all busy and it's not clear what will happen in the fall when schools reopen.

"At this point, we're reviewing all options and doing our homework and talking to some partners to see what makes the most sense for transportation between the two piers," MacAulay said.

In an email, a spokesperson for the centre for education said if it receives approval, the port would be paying for the bus and driver, so the centre would not bear the cost or make a profit.