In a significant move towards sustainable public transportation, Patrick Weiler, Member of Parliament for West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country, Rob Fleming, B.C. Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure, and Erinn Pinkerton, President and CEO of BC Transit, jointly announced an investment exceeding $395.5 million CAD ($300 million USD). This funding will be directed towards supporting public transit across British Columbia in Canada.
The investment will facilitate the purchase of up to 115 Battery Electric Buses (BEBs) and the installation of 134 charging points, enabling the deployment of these new buses in communities across the province. This initiative aligns with the Government of Canada’s objective of putting 5,000 zero-emission public transit and school buses on Canada’s roads by 2026. It also supports British Columbia’s CleanBC emission-reduction goals and BC Transit’s transition to an electric fleet by 2040.
“The future of transit is electric – and communities in British Columbia and across the country are leading the way. Our government’s investment will put quieter, cleaner buses on roads, making commutes more pleasant while protecting our environment,” said the Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities.
Patrick Weiler, MP for West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country, emphasized the transformative nature of this investment, stating, “By procuring 115 new electric buses and charging infrastructure, we are strengthening the connections in our communities, reducing congestion, and making transportation more accessible and healthier for all.”
The Government of Canada is contributing $82,019,527 CAD to these projects through the Zero Emission Transit Fund (ZETF) and $87,860,437 CAD through the Public Transit Infrastructure Stream (PTIS) of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP) for a total investment of $169,879,964. The Government of British Columbia is contributing $158,669,826 CAD, and recipients are contributing $67,355,727. Now that’s a lot of money being invested for electric buses across the province.