Through its annual fleet renewal program, the provincial government is providing School District 36 with $116,472 for the purchase of one new school bus.
“These new buses will provide lower operating costs for districts while providing safe, efficient transportation for students across B.C.,” said Peter Fassbender, Minister of Education and MLA for Surrey-Fleetwood. "This investment will ensure we keep our fleet modern and dependable.”
“School buses provide students with safe, convenient transportation between their homes and classrooms, said Marvin Hunt, MLA for Surrey-Panorama. “The new vehicle will be more reliable and less prone to maintenance issues, and newer technologies will improve the air quality inside vehicles and around our schools.”
The new bus will be delivered next spring. This year, the provincial government is providing $9 million to 22 school districts to purchase 76 buses.
The Ministry of Education has worked with the Association of School Transportation Services of B.C. to procure the school buses using the Standing Offer Pricing model.
Contractors, Independent schools and First Nations schools are also able to take advantage of this pricing which has resulted in savings of 10 to 15 per cent and saves districts significant administrative and staff time.