Espacebus.ca: Bus travel made easy now on line!

QUÉBEC CITY, Oct. 29 /CNW Telbec/ - With Quebec Transport Minister Julie Boulet and Tourism Minister Nicole Ménard on hand, the Association des propriétaires d'autobus du Québec (APAQ) today launched espacebus.ca, the only portal dedicated to group travel by coach and public transportation by bus in Quebec.

Espacebus.ca allows Web-users to plan travel to destinations throughout Quebec. Whether their search concerns group travel, intercity transport, paratransit or rural transport, espacebus.ca provides access to a full range of information about schedules, depots, routes, terms of use, fares and Quebec tourism packages.

Espacebus.ca is the outgrowth of a partnership between the Association des propriétaires d'autobus du Québec and the provincial transport and tourism ministries. "We are very proud of this portal, which we hope will help to increase the customer base for public transportation and contribute to government efforts to reduce fuel use and greenhouse gas emissions," noted Mr. Romain Girard, vice-president of APAQ.

Getting away

Espacebus.ca, in association with Quebec tour operators, has now made available the entire offering concerning group travel by motorcoach, a tourism sector whose activities currently do not appear on the Web.

The portal offers a search engine that allows users to quickly locate the information they are looking for. Results are ranked in order of relevance and link to the pages concerned.

By combining mapping functions and images of the products on offer, esapcebus.ca enables travellers to view a range of options concerning their stay. Whether their projected trip is for golf, skiing, culture, entertainment, or family activities, travellers can quickly select a package based on one of the 12 themes offered on the portal.

The process of searching for packages has been remarkably streamlined, meaning that at a single mouse-click, travellers can access a tailor-made package that fits their needs and interests.

Notwithstanding the numerous package proposals already on offer at espacebus.ca, group travel organizers such as corporate social clubs, convention planners, field trip and after-school activity organizers can also transmit a call for bids to wholesalers and tour operators listed on the portal in order to obtain a stay, an outing or a group travel package that is more fully adapted to their needs.

As Mr. Girard emphasized, espacebus.ca is the clearing house par excellence for presenting Quebec to tour groups made up of travellers from Quebecer and abroad.

On the move

Now, for the first time in Quebec, there is a single window for the offering in public transportation by bus. Thanks to leading-edge technology that integrates both a powerful search engine and exhaustive databases, espacebus.ca is able to respond to any request for information.

Web-users will now be able to develop a travel itinerary that does not require the use of a car. They can locate all the relevant information required to contact depots, intercity transportation companies, paratransit organizations and rural public transportation organizations. Likewise, this portal helps to build visibility for public transportation among communities and represents an important tool in outlying areas, where the public is sometimes unfamiliar with public transportation services.

Espacebus.ca is the showcase for public transportation by bus in Quebec. What is more, it represents the only virtual single window to permit interconnection between different modes of passenger transportation. Thanks to espacebus.ca, the bus is, more than ever, a safe, credible, efficient and reliable alternative to the car.

The sustainable mode of transportation

Beyond promoting and enhancing the prestige of public transportation, espacebus.ca rallies Web-users around such notions as transport and sustainable development, efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and respect for the environment - all this by making a more responsible use of the available means of transportation.

The Association des propriétaires d'autobus du Québec

APAQ/QBOA is a non-profit organization founded in 1926 by the pioneers of bus transportation in Quebec. APAQ/QBOA today represents a dynamic, collective driving force committed to promoting bus transportation and group travel. It brings together nearly 200 companies working throughout Quebec, whether providing airport, city, intercity, charter, school, tourist or paratransit services.

For further information: Rosalie Bergeron, Consultant, HKDP Communications and public affairs, [phone], poste 243, [email protected]; Source: Mario St-Laurent, APAQ, Executive Manager, [phone] extension 21