Kamloops bus ridership bounced back in 2023 after a lull during the COVID pandemic.The total from the annual trip count still hasn't exceeded 2019, but it was the monthly trips toward the end of the year that went beyond pre-pandemic counts.That according to BC Transit's annual report to Kamloops city council, which shows there were more than 3.5 million trips across the conventional bus system during the 2022/2023 fiscal year, ending in March.When the pandemic struck in March 2020, it caused an immediate downturn in transit rides. It nearly cut ridership by half after the 2019/2020 year saw more than 4 million trips.READ MORE: Months before her death, RCMP were notified about Lumby woman's safetyAccording to the report, 2023 started with ride counts similar to 2019, but far surpassed those counts by May. By December 2023 it bounced back to 115% of pre-pandemic ridership, on track to surpass previous levels.Meanwhile, BC Transit and operating contractor TransDev have been "increasingly successful" at hiring drivers.The…