The Victoria Regional Transit System in British Columbia is deploying 10 new compressed natural gas (CNG) buses in its service area, joinging 35 heavy-duty CNG buses and 25 medium-duty CNG buses that were added to the fleet in 2020.
FortisBC supplies natural gas for BC Transit’s CNG fleets, while the CNG fueling station, located at the Langford operations and maintenance facility, is built and maintained by Clean Energy. The transition to a fully electric fleet is being supported by sourcing renewable fuels and the acquisition of CNG buses and fueling infrastructure.
The 40-foot heavy-duty New Flyer buses can carry 35 seated passengers and 46 standing passengers. Each new bus is also equipped with a three-inch bike rack, white LED destination sign, full driver door and protective door placed on the exterior of the operator seat. In addition to these features, there are new USB charge ports for passenger use and upgraded vinyl seat material.
The cost of each CNG bus is approximately $710,000, funded through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP). The federal and provincial governments are each contributing 40% of the cost, with the Victoria Regional Transit Commission funding the remaining 20%.
The Victoria Regional Transit System is one of five BC Transit systems operating a CNG fleet, including Whistler, Nanaimo, Kamloops and Central Fraser Valley.
