Megabus coming to Ottawa following Greyhound shutdown

OTTAWA — One day after Greyhound Canada announced it is shutting down operations in Canada, Megabus says it is coming to Ottawa.

The new service will offer routes between Toronto, Scarborough, Kingston and Ottawa, filling a void left by Greyhound’s absence.

The double-decker service will operate from St. Laurent Station four days a week, Thursday through Sunday.

Tickets are now on sale for travel starting May 20. All tickets on the new Ottawa route will be free for the first week of service, the company said in a news release.

Ontario is in a stay-at-home order and the province is discouraging travel.

Megabus said it’s also offering an empty seat guarantee, enhanced cleaning and ticket flexibility during the pandemic.

On Thursday, Greyhound Canada said it was shutting down all bus service permanently.

Last October, Greyhound ceased operations from the Ottawa central bus station on Catherine Street. In February, developer Brigil said it had bought the property with a plan to redevelop it.