Ottawa is behind on procuring enough buses to electrify its fleet, but the head of OC Transpo says there's no need for a backup plan to replace its aging diesel-powered fleet. The city has committed to go fully electric by 2036, meaning it will need to phase out its 750 diesel-powered buses.
Staff updated members of the transit commission on the transformation on Thursday, with discussions on evaluating the pilot project, adding new charging infrastructure, procuring additional electric vehicles and keeping older buses on the road as staff await delivery. "We have taken the decision to retire that were very, very bad on reliability. So, we kept only the good ones," Renée Amilcar, OC Transpo's general manager, said. "With the articulated buses, we are struggling a little bit because most of them are due to be replaced." OC Transpo chief Renée Amilcar said the city is using preventative maintenance to keep diesel-powered buses running because of delays in procuring electric buses