Calgary Transit deployed two New Flyer compressed natural gas (CNG) buses this week as the first step in a pilot program that will examine how natural gas vehicles perform in the agency's service territory. Two more CNG buses from Nova Bus Inc. will come online in May.
The organization currently operates a fleet of approximately 1,100 diesel buses, and the lower cost of CNG relative to diesel and the fuel's cleaner burning properties have prompted officials to look into a shift to natural gas. When the pilot program ends, Calgary Transit will assess what infrastructure is necessary in order to accommodate storing and maintaining CNG buses.
The Calgary Herald reports that the city is already on its way in that regard, with a new committee currently investigation the specifications of a facility that can handle up to 400 buses.
