Policies and Procedures
At Island Link, Island Express Bus, and Port Hardy Express Bus.
Making a Booking on IslandLink
Making a booking on Islandlink is not required in order to use Islandlink bus services, but they are recommended. Having a booking is the only way to guarantee a seat on the bus trip of your choice. Bookings may only be made online, on the Islandlink website.
On-line bookings (and cancellations) may be made at any time until 11:59pm on the night before travel. A booking will only be given when space is available, and IslandLink will not overbook. Passengers traveling without a booking will be given a seat by the driver, on a space-available only basis, on payment of the applicable fare in cash to the driver. The cash payment must be made prior to departing the pick-up point.
Online Reservations:
The only way to make a booking on Islandlink is online. Everybody booking on-line is required to become a member of the system; there is no charge for membership, and membership may be revoked at any time by email notice to Islandlink. (See Closing a member account/Refund of iPOINTS balance, below).
Booking online requires online payment, either by credit, debit VISA or debit card, or by payment from the member’s iPOINTS account, or a combination of these. On-line reservations may be cancelled on-line in accordance with the Cancellation Policy, shown above. iPOINTS held in a member’s online iPOINTS account may only be used to purchase travel online from Islandlink.
Ticket Use / Non-Use:
- Cancelling a ticket does not refund your credit card.
- Your IslandLink ticket is valid only for the trip/time & date specified. It may be used in part payment toward a stand-by fare on the same date ONLY, but at a different trip/time; in this case the driver will collect the difference between the fare paid online and the applicable cash fare for the different trip/time, per passenger, if space is available.
- Your IslandLink ticket has no value except on the travel date specified thereon. If it is not used (unless it has been cancelled in accordance with the cancellation policy), it has no refund or credit value.
- You must be in possession of a confirmed ticket number in order to board the bus.
- Cancellation Policy: Your IslandLink ticket may be cancelled anytime before midnight on the day before travel. If it is cancelled, the ticket price, minus the cancellation fee(s), minus the reward given when the ticket was purchased will be credited to your online iPOINTS account, for future travel purchase (iPOINTS have certain expiry conditions, see iPOINTS below). Cancellation can only be done online; cancellation fee is $2/ticket.
Children, Baggage, Pets, Guide & Service Dogs
Transportation of Children and Infants:
Unfortunately, Islandlink is not set up to legally carry children and infants under the age of nine years on all our vehicles. Rather than differentiate our policy by vehicle type, we have one policy that applies on all our vehicles and on all our routes.
Therefore, any child or infant under the age of nine years will not be boarded on our vehicles.
At age nine years and older, children are no longer required to be seated in a booster or child restraint seat in British Columbia, and this condition also applies to all Islandlink services.
Since children age nine years or older do not require booster or restraint seats, we will not allow the temporary installation of these seats in our vehicles as they are not required by law.
Pets, Guide and Service Dogs Policy:
Pets:
No pets (animals or birds) are allowed on any Islandlink Bus or Island Express Bus vehicle at any time.
Guide & Service Animals
We accommodate guide and service dogs, as well as other medically necessary service animals in accordance with the laws of British Columbia.
To help us accommodate you, we appreciate advance notice and confirmation of your service animal’s certification(s), or supporting medical documentation before your day of travel. All documentation, questions or concerns can be emailed to info@islandbuslink.com. Let us know if you are a repeat customer, as we will save confirmation that you have previously provided your documentation for future reference. Please note that providing this information is not a condition of sale or carriage, however, it does allow us to plan to accommodate you and for a quicker and easier boarding process on the day of travel.
In some circumstances, we may ask to see an animal’s certification, or a passenger’s medical documentation to support their need for accommodation. Please bring any documentation with you to help us address your needs and ensure a quicker and easier boarding process on your day of travel.
Once boarded, service dogs are required to remain on the floor at the feet of their owner. Service dogs will not be permitted to travel on a seat or in their owner's lap.
To ensure the safety of our drivers and passengers, we reserve the right to (1) refuse service, and (2) require that a passenger remove their animal from the bus. We may exercise these rights in the event that there is an issue with the animal's behaviour.
Restricted Baggage:
The only baggage we must restrict is:
• Bicycles, wheelchairs/scooters; this is because of the space limitations of our vehicles, hazardous or dangerous materials, explosives, guns and ammunition.
• Packages containing liquids that are inadequately contained such that they may leak in the bus.
• We apologize, but there is no space on any IslandLink bus to carry surfboards.
All other baggage is OK with the single condition that ‘if you can carry it (all at once), we can take it’. Baggage in excess of this amount can only be carried at the discretion of the driver and if space is available; it is therefore not guaranteed.
Protective Face Masks:
Island Express Bus policy with respect to wearing a face mask (COVID) onboard our vehicles has been relaxed. Wearing a face mask is encouraged, but is now optional. If circumstances change, this policy could also change again.