New OnEx Bus service rolling into Windsor

Windsor, Ont. -

A commuter bus service is preparing to expand into Windsor soon.

Onex Bus officials say they are doing a final review of schedules before routes begin, saying it will soon start servicing Windsor to and from London for $35.

It will also have a connecting service to Toronto Pearson Airport and downtown Toronto, filling a void left by the closure of Greyhound last year.

“Just trying to keep Canadians in touch with one another,” says company spokesperson Harvey Tawatao.

Tawatao says Onex Bus, an acronym for Ontario Express Bus, is operated by several private coach lines.

According to its website, Onex Bus (Ontario Express Bus) is a consortium of family-owned limousines and bus companies, based in Mississauga, Ontario.

“Right now, we’ve been following the same guidelines as what most municipalities have been doing with their bus services also,” he says.

Tawatao anticipates the new route to launch in about two weeks, noting the state of the pandemic has delayed initial launch projections.

“I just don’t want to throw a service in there nobody uses or doesn’t really want it, or it’s not feasible,” Tawatao says. “I know people still have to move around, so if I do start something within the two-week span, it’s going to be a skeleton trial run. Basically a run from Windsor into Chatham into London.”

Onex Bus will soon start servicing Windsor to and from London for $35. (Courtesy Harvey Tawatao)Tawatao says the company hopes to be an affordable alternative to existing transportation services, including rail and air, with officials reviewing plans for an express service between Chatham, Tilbury and Windsor.

“I’m still working out the times, I have to figure out what the feasible times are and what the economical growth is,” he says.

Tawatao tells CTV News Onex “keeps Canadians united” by offering safe transportation to those who do not meet the double vaccination requirements to use other services, adding passengers must wear a recognizable mask and not be ill to travel.

“If they’re sick, stay home and take care of yourself. If you’re fine, travel. You’re welcome to sit along with everybody else to get from Point A to Point B,” he says.

Tawatao encourages anyone who is considering booking a trip to visit their website or call, so Onex can get a better sense of market demand.

Meantime, Onex also encourages people to offer bus name suggestions online.

“We realize here naming coaches instead of putting a number on them is so much easier for people to remember,” he says.

More information, including schedules and prices for each new bus service are available online.