First of Metro Vancouver’s double-decker bus fleet rolls in
Posted August 14, 2019 10:22 am.
Last Updated August 14, 2019 10:23 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
METRO VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Move over Victoria – Metro Vancouver now has double-decker buses, too.
The first of 32 has arrived to expand the current fleet and replace aging highway coaches in Richmond, Delta, and Surrey.
The double-deckers will show up first on the routes between the Newton Exchange and the Richmond-Brighouse SkyTrain Station, as well as from Bridgeport to the Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal this fall.
Other routes will begin to see double-decker buses next year, in January, and another 25 buses will be rolled out next fall.
“The double-deckers are one way we are elevating the customer experience,” TransLink CEO Kevin Desmond says. “This addition to our fleet not only improves capacity on our busier long-haul routes, but also provides a unique experience to our customers.”
The new buses will feature almost double the number of seats of a highway coach, plug-in USB charging outlets, panoramic views from the upper deck, full accessibility with a low floor and boarding ramp, and more.
The buses are paid for in part by the Federal Gas Tax, as well as a 10 per cent contribution from TransLink.
If you want to check out the buses before they’re first rolled out this fall, you can see them on display at TransLink’s PNE exhibit from Aug. 17 to Sept. 3.
