HAMILTON, Bermuda – Department of Public Transportation (DPT) Roger Todd says a newly arrived fleet of 10 Chinese electric buses will mean “a significant reduction, if not elimination” of cancellations.
One of the 30 new electric buses that arrived from China.Todd said on Wednesday the vehicles, which cost US$3.7 million according to the Official Gazette, would also be better suited to the island’s narrow roads than the older buses that have been plagued by mechanical breakdowns which regularly interrupt service.
The new buses, built by the Golden Dragon Bus Company in China, are expected to be on the roads in a month’s time, and Todd said costs will be cut by 50 percent when compared to the older diesel buses.
Transport Minister Lawrence Scott said the arrival of the first 10 of the 30 buses was “a huge step forward, steering Bermuda towards a cleaner, more resilient future”.
He said the vehicles positioned Bermuda as “one of the leaders in the Caribbean for transitioning to electric public transportation”.
A further 20 buses will arrive in two shipments on March 28 and April 4.
The 28-seater vehicles, smaller than the 38-seater diesel models currently in use, will not mean changes to the bus schedule or routes.
Golden Dragon engineers will spend three months on the island to train DPT staff.
Todd said the buses were “brand-new, straight off the factory floor, with a shelf life of 12 years”.
