B.C. Transit has agreed to provide 21 new buses by Christmas to replace those in Whistler Transit’s fleet that have fallen into disrepair, officials announced on Friday (Nov. 7).
The 21 new buses, which Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) officials have been seeking since 2007, will all arrive before Christmas, according to a B.C. Transit advisory. A media event is set for Monday (Nov. 10) at Whistler municipal hall, at which Mayor Ken Melamed and B.C. Transit officials plan to make the announcement.
B.C. Transit normally allocates buses based on both need and life expectancy. Many of the 28 buses in Whistler Transit’s current fleet have been on the road since 1991 and, because of heavy usage — the fleet annually carries some 3 million passengers — long hours and tough conditions, have fallen into disrepair.
Whistler Transit’s service is operated as a partnership of the RMOW and B.C. Transit.
In addition to mechanical problems, many of the buses have other problems that make them unattractive for use by large numbers of riders, including cracked and broken windows and failing heating systems.
Last year, at least two local lawmakers said local maintenance crews have been challenged just to keep some of the buses on the road. One said they were being held together with “duct tape and bubble gum.”
Some 20 state-of-the-art, hydrogen-fuel-cell buses are scheduled to arrive in Whistler as part of a pilot project set to coincide with the 2010 Olympics and Paralympics. However, RMOW officials had requested new buses immediately, arguing that many vehicles in the current fleet would not make it through this winter.
Residents and media are invited to Monday’s (Nov. 10) announcement at 11 a.m. at municipal hall.
Let's see...first the hydrogen buses were forced upon us under the guise of environmentalism- despite assurances from the IPCC to the world that hydrogen is simply not the way to go- what's in store for us now with these new buses- biodiesle? How many will go hungry so we can feel great about low emissions?
Request Removal
November 9, 2008 @ 11:37 pm PST