HAMILTON, Bermuda — Transport Minister Lawrence Scott announced Wednesday that the island’s first electric buses from China are expected to be on the roads by next spring.
Electric bus from Golden Dragon Bus Company (File Photo)“I am very excited to announce that the project has progressed despite global supply chain issues. We anticipate that the buses will be arriving on three shipments over the next few weeks,” Scott said, without disclosing the price tag for the 30 buses.
He said commissioning the new buses and training staff meant they would be expected to go into service next spring.
“The Department of Transportation is recruiting additional bus operators which will ensure that we have the resources required to provide a reliable and consistent bus service,” he said.
The buses were manufactured by the Golden Dragon Bus Company in China. The company has completed pre-delivery inspections and is preparing the buses to be shipped from Shanghai to Bermuda.
“The initial request for proposal for the new electric buses envisioned transitioning the entire bus fleet to electric over 10 years,” Scott said.
Bermuda’s bus service has also been hit by an ageing fleet plagued with breakdowns and delays to repairs because of overstretched maintenance crews resulting in daily cancellations of scores of routes across the island.
