Bendy buses get green light

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This article was published 07/03/2012 (5204 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A city committee has voted in favour of a plan to buy used articulated buses after the head of Winnipeg Transit called them a “fantastic deal.”

On Tuesday, Winnipeg Transit director Dave Wardrop told council’s public works committee the 20 used buses that were part of Ottawa’s old fleet will help reduce overcrowding on city buses.

Ottawa purchased the buses between 2001 and 2004, and media reports show some articulated buses had defective parts and faulty brakes, which caused some buses to catch fire.

In April 2010, Ottawa city council voted to replace 226 of its articulated buses with newer, more fuel-efficient models. One city councillor called the buses “lemons,” according to media reports.

A City of Ottawa report said Ottawa’s transit service, OC Transpo, had a large backlog of work due to “major repairs” required on some of the 226 articulated buses.

The report said it would cost OC Transpo $66 million to overhaul the buses.

Wardrop said some of Ottawa’s old buses had an assortment of issues, but these have been sorted out. He said there isn’t any specific issue that has rendered the entire fleet defective, and Winnipeg Transit has already examined what it will take to refurbish the 20 buses and make them operational.

Wardrop said Winnipeg will send its mechanics and pick the 20 best out of the 226 buses from Ottawa’s old fleet.

He said Winnipeg has had problems with new buses it has purchased.

“I have no reason to believe that these buses are going to be any more problematic than others,” Wardrop said.

Council’s public works committee voted in favour of the plan, which still needs to be approved by executive policy committee and council.

Public works chairman Coun. Dan Vandal (St. Boniface) said based on advice from city administration, Winnipeggers are going to get value for their money.

He said Winnipeg Transit has confirmed the issues with the buses have been resolved and will help accommodate the growth in ridership.

Vandal said Transit expects to add 55,000 additional service hours in 2012, compared to 2011.

“We’re taking the best professional advice from our administration,” he said following Tuesday morning’s public works meeting.

“Is there some risk? There’s likely some risks but based on their advice this is a good deal.”

In total, it will cost Winnipeg $2.2 million to buy and fix the buses.

The buses will cost $53,000 each, instead of the $625,000 they would cost brand-new.

jen.skerritt@freepress.mb.ca

 

Trees and rate hikes

OTHER developments at council’s public works committee on Tuesday:

Elm strategy: The committee asked Winnipeg’s public administration to develop a strategy to protect city elm trees amid concerns about the spread of Dutch elm disease. This week, advocates told city officials they worry the city’s elm tree canopy could collapse if Winnipeg does not spend more money on planting and pruning to protect it from the disease.

Winnipeg’s 2012 operating budget included an additional $250,000 for tree pruning to increase the pruning cycle to 10 years from 13 years.

Public works director Brad Sacher said it will take Winnipeg several years to phase in the shorter pruning cycle because staff have to be trained. He said the city could examine other ways to replace lost elms, including giving property owners vouchers to buy a tree if they lose one to disease.

The public works committee will investigate these options and report back with a full strategy in six months.

Water and sewer: The committee voted in favour of a proposed rate hike to water and sewer services this year. The average bill for a family of four will increase by six per cent this year. That works out to $51 a year, $1 per week, or 14 cents per day. The proposed hike still needs to be approved by executive policy committee and council.

— staff