During stops in Vanderhoof and Prince George on Saturday, B.C. Transit officials fielded more than 150 comments on the organization's plan for a service along Highway 16 West.
A display made up of a bus and boards showing the proposal was set up at the Nechako Valley Exhibition during the morning and at the entrance to the B.C. Northern Exhibition during the afternoon.
The count did not include all of those who checked out the exhibit, B.C. Transit spokesman Jonathan Dyck said.
"We counted the direct, one-on-one interactions but we did have more people walk through the booth," he said.
The consultation remains ongoing until Sept. 16 and an online survey is available through bctransit.com/highway16. Officials will also be visiting more communities in the coming weeks.
As currently proposed, B.C. Transit is offering trips between 21 more communities along the 725-kilometre stretch for $5 per ride or $45 for 10 tickets.
Service is already in place in the Kitimat-Terrace and the Smithers-Kispiox-New Hazelton areas.
The public is being asked whether they support the proposed routes, which two days they would like to see them run, whether the proposed schedules work for them and whether they support the proposed fares.
"We really do want to hear from the public," Dyck said. "This is something important that we talk to the members of the public about and that we get feedback on."
Eighteen women have been murdered or have disappeared along Highway 16 between Prince George and Prince Rupert – also known as the Highway of Tears – and adjacent routes since the 1970s.
B.C. Transit aims to have the first inter-community buses in service by the end of this year with the rest on the road in 2017.
