10 new environmentally and user-friendly buses hit the road in Victoria

10 new buses with user-friendly features have joined the BC Transit fleet.

The heavy-duty Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses are now operating in Victoria, in addition to 35 heavy-duty CNG buses and 25 medium-duty CNG buses added to the fleet in 2020.

BC Transit says the benefits of CNG technology are both environmental and economic, with reductions in tailpipe emissions and operational costs.

FortisBC supplies natural gas for BC Transit’s CNG fleets, while the CNG fueling station, located at the Langford operations and maintenance facility, is built and maintained by Clean Energy. The transition to a fully electric fleet is being supported by sourcing renewable fuels and the acquisition of CNG buses and fueling infrastructure.

The 40-foot heavy-duty New Flyer buses can carry 35 seated passengers and 46 standing passengers. Each new bus is also equipped with a three-inch bike rack, white LED destination sign and full driver door, a protective door placed on the exterior of the operator seat.

There are also new USB charge ports for passenger use and upgraded vinyl seat material, which makes them easier to clean.

The cost of each heavy-duty CNG bus is about $710,000, funded through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP). The federal and provincial governments are each contributing 40% of the cost, with the Victoria Regional Transit Commission funding the remaining 20%.

The Victoria Regional Transit System is one of five BC Transit systems operating a CNG fleet, including Whistler, Nanaimo, Kamloops and Central Fraser Valley.