Katharine Hamer News Reporter. katharine@nsnews.com REGULAR riders of West Vancouver’s Blue Bus system will know that hopping on and off along Georgia Street has, up till now, been verboten. Sightscers and downtown commuters have had to take Vancouver or North Vancouver buses to travel between Stanley Park and the city centre. That policy ts set to change Nov. 1, when — following a recent Greater Vancouver Transit Authority (GVTA) . decision — Blue Buses will start picking up downtown passengers, “We've had many requests from peoy le wanting more service to Stanley Par said Ken Hardie, media relations for TransLink. “Now we can have people get- ting on at The Bay and getting off at Staniey Park.” Blue Buses “are a subsidiary of the GVTA," Hardie said, “and if they have the capacity, there’s really litte downside to them picking up passengers on Georgia. “Particularly along Georgia Street,” he said, “there has been a significant growth in residential buildings. There are morc and more peuple who just want to go from Howe or Bute uown to the end of Gcorgia, There is clearly a cali for more stop-to-stop services.” TransLink plans to spend $50 million on buses and drivers this year. The resources will be allocated as needed ‘across region. “TransLink makes all the suburban ser- vices operate locally,” said Blue Bus transit “manager Tony Lorage. “North Vancouver, Burzaby, Coquitiam, as and where need- ed. We're the only. ones yet to come in line.”. “4D m not going to say thar somebody's not going to miss their bus,” Lorage said. He. “emphasized the negotiation of an Wo yedrs ago, Whistler formed 3 black bear task force and. w has ‘Management Plan in‘place. The local RCMP, conseryation officers and municipal bylaw officers are all trained and eguipped for non-lethal intervention. As a result, approxi- ‘third ‘fewe garbage bears have been destroyed this fe managed to bring the bear situation under control in by, putting ¢ “electric fences around garbages and other, lot i awareness and hotels and restaurants Friday. hight, members of both: nd ‘West’ Vancouver police departments flicers for the Lower’ Maintand will be erain- rn ing with Searles earlier in the day. “Steve Searles vil & 19%h: “2 ‘ex0s-1940 Lonsdale alc USES SE exemption for the Horseshoe Bay Express bus after drivers voiced particular concerns over that route, For the last week, Blue Bus drivers have been hand- ing out flyers encouraging their regular nders to “save your seat,” claiming that the transit authority's decision would affect the reliabiliw of regular passengers’ ride home. They have also written to West Vancouver Mayor Pat Boname. She says that with the lower frequeney of the Blue Bus route compared to urban bus schedules, drivers are “right to be concerned” about overcrowding. The flyer reters to the new policy as “ill-conceived.” “At present,” it says, “buses pass up passengers during peak times because of overcrowding. Under this new plan, that will only increase. The suburban rider will suffer at the expense of the urban ricer.” Lorage says thar if there appears to be a heavy flow of new passengers, West Van Transit may add extra buses to accommodate them. He added thar he had been paying close attention to North Vancouver buses, which have been accepting urban passen- gers for the past ovo and a half years. Lorage said he hadn' really noticed North Van drivers experiencing any ditfi- culties with overcrowding, other thai the “one time there was a bunch of 18 to 20 Japanese tourists whe got on downtown and got off at Lost Lagoon.” Lorage said the fact that West Van buses have not been picking up urban trav- SSive im ellers was “confusing to the public.” He docsn’t believe Blue Buses should be limited only to those commuting to and from West Vancouver. “t's a growing city,” he said, adding that it was “only fair”-West Van buses should chip in. “You can imagine somebody standing on Denman, thinking, ‘these do go down- town, these don’t... We are in the transit business. What keeps us in business is pick- ing up people and and dropping them off. We must not exclude passen crs. We are not some sort of exclusive club, Wednesday. October 27, 1999 ~ Nerth Shore News — re rider ’ NEWS photo Tercy Peters TRANSIT manager Tony Lorage at the West Van ous garage: “We must not exclude passengers. We are not some sort of exclusive club.” Four cars in causeway crash THE Stanley Park Causeway was the scene a four-car pile up Sunday night after a driver fell asleep at the wheel. At approximately 9:53 p.m., a man heading south on the causeway began to feel “very tired,” according to Vancouver Police representative Janice Williams. His unmanned car drifted into the next Jane and towards. oncoming iraffic. Ore car was sideswiped, a second was hit head. on, and a third was struck by debris from the wayward vehicle... There were no serious injurics. The driver who caused the a accident was taken to hospital with minor injuries. he — Katharine Hamer : mvicted of tax evasion | A West Vancouver mais was fined $98,691 ist week for income ta. _ evasion. Diamond’ Tejani, in his 50s, was convicted of failing to report $420,000 in person- al and corporate income, according to Revenue Canada. The fine represents, the amount of federzi taxes Tejani : tried to évade. ’ _. Tejani owned and operated Diamond Drugs Ltd., a phar- macy foe near Surrey on Oct. 29 from 7 to 10 p.m. at the istrict .Hall, 355. West . Queens . Ave. For’ more. information about non-lethal “Trees and Shrubs Memorial Hospital. The store received volume ‘rebates on drugs purchased from manufacturers and sup- pliers. Tejani did not report the rebates on company income tax returns, according to Revenue Canada. Tejani also sold drugs in’ bulk to other firms an did not report the sales on income - tax returns, according to Revenue Canada. - Tejani failed to report” $420,009 of personal and cor- porate inconte tax from 1992 - , to 1994, Winter Pansies 8 Plants per pack - reg. $3.99 3 naa 9 999 10 mes 209 9 Amaryilis 1: Bulbs |. $10: 99 . - each size 36/ reg. $13, 99 WEST-VAN-FLORIST . & GARDEN CENTRE In addition to the $98, 691. fine, Tejani must. pay an undisclosed amount of taxes owing plus interest and civil. Rane alties, according ‘to enue Canada. Vancouver proviccial court. Judge Francine Howard fined Tejani. ‘ Revenue “Canada cncour- ages anyone who has not filed © tax returns or has understated |: their income. to contact their , - local tax services office.