Dozens of school bus routes in the London area that were canceled on Monday are scheduled to resume operations tomorrow morning, as per information from one of the largest student transportation companies in southwestern Ontario.
Langs Bus Lines announced the suspension of 186 routes as a precautionary step on early Monday to conduct immediate inspections of their electric fleet. This action followed a recent school bus fire incident in Montreal involving a bus belonging to LION, the same type of buses used by Langs Bus Lines in London.
In response to a safety bulletin from Lion Electric, Langs Bus Lines decided to temporarily remove the electric vehicles from service to ensure the safety of students and staff. The company confirmed that inspections began immediately, with the expectation that the school buses would gradually return to service by Tuesday, pending successful inspections.
LION stated that an inspection bulletin was issued to bus operators last week, with additional safety checks incorporated subsequently. The company emphasized a progressive and safe reintroduction of buses to the roads as compliance is confirmed.
Last week’s school bus fire in Montreal was not an isolated incident, as there have been previous instances of electric bus fires in Canada. However, investigations have shown that the bus batteries were not the cause of the fires in these cases. Montreal firefighters attributed the recent incident to the bus’s heating system.
Valérie Tremblay from Green Communities Canada clarified misconceptions about electric bus safety, emphasizing that electric buses have safety features in place. She highlighted that the recent fires underscore the need to review safety protocols across various bus components.
Transport Canada is currently investigating the Montreal incident under the Motor Vehicle Safety Act. While the Quebec Education Ministry suspended the service of 1,200 LION school buses, the status of similar actions in Ontario remains unclear.
Despite the disruptions in London, some bus routes operated by other companies continued service on Monday morning. Families were advised to check My Big Yellow Bus for updates on bus cancellations, with Langs committing to posting any changes by 6:30 a.m.
