The future of public transit in British Columbia just got a big boost.
On Thursday, Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada; John Horgan, Premier of British Columbia; and Erinn Pinkerton, President and CEO of BC Transit, announced more than $79 million in joint funding.
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This funding will be used to purchase 118 new buses for use outside of the Metro Vancouver region. Some are expected to replace older vehicles reaching the end of their lifespan, and others will be used to expand services.
At least 10 of these new buses will electric-battery powered buses that will serve Greater Victoria.
“The new buses will help shorten daily commutes, reduce the number of cars on the road and make the province a greener place to live”, reads a statement.
Once these new buses are in service, they’ll replace others at the end of their life cycle or help increase capacity in some communities.
These new buses will “be more efficient, have improved accessibility and safety features, and will support BC Transit’s new NextRide technology and closed-circuit television security cameras”.
B.C. Transit is a public transportation company that serves the B.C. regions outside of the Metro Vancouver area. This $79 million is jointly funded by the federal government, the provincial government, and several municipal governments.
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