Brandon gearing up for transit bus purchases
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 05/03/2024 (743 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
The City of Brandon has taken a step toward bolstering its worn-down bus fleet by soliciting expressions of interest from manufacturers.
In the leadup to budget deliberations earlier this year, city council was told that Brandon Transit had one or more buses unable to operate because of mechanical issues every day in 2023, with almost a third of days seeing eight or more off the road.
That meant Brandon Transit had to come up with contingency plans in case so many buses were off the road that regular routes couldn’t be run, such as reducing service or pulling buses from the Brandon Access Transit fleet to run conventional service.
A pair of City of Brandon Transit buses cross Victoria Avenue at 10th Street on Monday morning, after a blizzard blanketed the city with snow overnight. (Matt Goerzen/The Brandon Sun)
A document posted on the city’s website on Feb. 23 says Brandon “is seeking expressions of interest from qualified vendors in supplying approximately 11 diesel conventional public transport buses over a span of four years.”
In 2010, the city purchased 11 buses from Winnipeg-based manufacturer New Flyer, which are now reaching the end of their lifespan. At that same pre-budget meeting, manager of transit services Courtney Arndt expressed concern that existing buses might not last until their scheduled replacement date.
According to the document, three of those buses have an anticipated replacement date of 2024, two in 2025, three in 2026 and the final three are to be replaced in 2027, though those dates are said to be only a guideline.
While there had been a small amount of discussion prior to budget deliberations about the possibility of electrifying the city’s transit fleet, the document makes it clear that “due to current infrastructure and technical resources, the city is only interested in purchasing diesel buses at this time.”
The city says in the document that it wants to purchase buses that are either 35 or 40 feet in length, with a Cummins engine, an Allison transmission, a stainless steel frame, room to accommodate two passengers using wheelchairs, two passengers doors including one with a ramp for accessibility, and are pre-wired to accept electronic fareboxes and air purifiers.
The expressions of interest are said to be for pre-qualification purposes only and will not guarantee that the city will be purchasing buses from participants.
Submissions must be made by 5 p.m. on March 15.
The city has hired a consultant firm that is currently working on a system review of Brandon Transit and is expected to release its findings by the end of 2024.
» cslark@brandonsun.com
» X: @ColinSlark