The Quebec Bus Carriers Federation has announced that the majority of Lion buses undergoing repairs are expected to be back in operation by Wednesday, with the exception of Montreal. According to a news release issued on Tuesday, the federation anticipates that school bus services will resume normal operations across the province by Friday.
Chantale Dugas, the president and CEO of the federation, explained that most of the carriers that have not yet repaired their buses are located in the Montreal area due to the size of their fleets, which makes it challenging to acquire necessary parts.
Following a fire incident involving one of the Lion buses a week ago, the Quebec government ordered all Lion buses to undergo preventative inspections last Friday. Lion, the bus manufacturer, then issued further instructions on Sunday for providers to replace a fuse on both electric and diesel school buses, as stated by Dugas.
Dugas mentioned that the federation is seeking a meeting with the new Minister of Education, Sonia LeBel, to address concerns, including funding reductions affecting operations, which have decreased from $12,900 to $5,000 per bus annually.
She emphasized the high operational costs associated with operating electric buses, citing the need for specialized infrastructure for bus storage. Additionally, the inability of some providers to keep spare buses for use during vehicle issues leads to service disruptions.
Following the federation’s update on Tuesday, the English Montreal School Board (EMSB) confirmed that their buses will not be operating on Wednesday, with a list of affected routes available on the EMSB’s website.
The Lester B. Pearson School Board also published an updated list of bus routes that will be out of service on Wednesday on its website.
