19 brand new buses are hitting the streets of the tri-community with funding contributions from all three levels of government totalling almost 9.7 million dollars.
Codiac Transpo General Manager Angela Allain says these are not extra buses but will be replacing older, less efficient models.
“Buses last a very long time, so these buses will actually be replacing buses that are between 18 and 24 years old, and we’ll be selling those, disposing of those older models,” says Allain.
The new buses are going to be far more accessible, Allain reports, saying there’s no need to bend a knee at all to get on and off.
“So these new buses, there’s no steps at the front door so it makes it more accessible not only for people in wheelchairs, but also people with strollers, or walkers, or any kind of mobility constraint,” says Allain.
Some of the vehicles are already out on the streets, according to Allain, saying “we just received another supplement to the order a few weeks ago, so all of them will be on the road by November, but we have about 75% of them on the road right now, so they’re out in service, and working great.”
Each of the three municipalities is paying a portion of the costs of the new buses, with Moncton paying for the lion’s share at $2 million, Riverview is paying $261,000, and Dieppe is shelling out $531,000.
That compares to $1.8 million from the provincial government, and a total of $5.1 million from the federal government.