(Image Credit: CFJC Today)

By Dylana Milobar

BUS SERVICE UPGRADES

Kamloops transit headed towards an electric future

Aug 25, 2019 | 7:36 AM

KAMLOOPS — It’ll take some time, but in the future Kamloops buses will go electric, as part of BC Transit’s low carbon fleet program.

Announced last month, BC Transit says it plans to start buying only electric heavy duty buses in 2023, with a target of creating a fully electric provincial fleet in all vehicle classifications by 2040.

BC Transit Spokesperson Jonathon Dyck says within the next twenty years, Kamloops could see a fleet of electric buses.

“Our target is to have our entire provincial fleet transition by 2040,” Dyck explains, “Kamloops has taken an important step by already going with the compressed natural gas (CNG) buses for its conventional fleet, and so we’ll continue working to look at how we can introduce electric into that community as we move forward with our low carbon fleet program.”

The transition to electric has several steps, including moving to compressed natural gas vehicles- something Kamloops has already done.

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According to Dyck, of the 69 buses in Kamloops, 47 of those are CNG run, for conventional use. The CNG buses are not only better environmentally, Dyck says they are also ultimately cheaper to operate.

“What we’re doing right now is in other communities we’re introducing more compressed natural gas buses, and we’re expanding that program as we’ve seen benefits in Kamloops, Whistler, and Nanaimo, that already have compressed natural gas buses.”