Don’t let the name fool you — Tofino Bus doesn’t just go to Tofino anymore.

As of October 1, Island-owned Tofino Bus Service has taken over all Vancouver Island bus routes north of Nanaimo and expanded service on established routes from Campbell River to Victoria.

With its new “All-Island Express” service, Tofino Bus now offers the largest scheduled bus service on Vancouver Island. Comox Valley residents will benefit from more frequent service – three times daily – from Courtenay to Campbell River, Nanaimo, Victoria and Vancouver – allowing for earlier morning and later evening departures.

“When we saw that the former bus service provider had applied to abandon their routes north of Nanaimo, we saw a great opportunity to not only keep that service going, but also expand it in communities along those routes,” says Tofino Bus founder and president Dylan Green.

As an interline partner with Greyhound, Tofino Bus uses all the same stations, accepts Greyhound tickets and freight and has scheduled its buses to coordinate with Greyhound’s Victoria and Vancouver connections.

“Other than passengers getting used to the new name and the more frequent buses between Campbell River and Victoria/Vancouver, it’s going to be a seamless transition,” says Green.

In addition to the more frequent South Island service, Tofino Bus now also provides daily service to Port Hardy. Naturally, it still offers its namesake daily express service between Victoria, Port Alberni, Ucluelet and Tofino two to three times daily.

Founded in 2002, Tofino Bus has grown from that single route into a true Island-wide coach service, adding four coaches and mini-buses to its fleet and increasing its staff from 20 to 30.

“Employing local people is just one of our company’s founding philosophies,” says Green. “We’ve always wanted to provide a convenient, car-free way to explore the beauty of the Island, and to do what we can to promote other Island businesses.”

One feature unique to Tofino Bus is that, when pre-arranged, its buses accommodate up to two bikes per departure. The company also offers discounts for online and advance bookings.

“We’re really excited to bring the philosophy and service of Tofino Bus to the eastern and northern parts of the Island,” says Green. “It’s great to be part of the Vancouver Island entrepreneurial community!”

For route schedules and more information on freight, fares and charter services, visit www.tofinobus.com or call 1-866-986-3466.