Double-decker buses are coming to Metro Vancouver. On Wednesday, TransLink showed off one of 32 new two-level busses that will hit the road beginning in October.
The fleet will serve communities that have seen huge jumps in ridership, including the 301 Newton Exchange/Richmond-Brighouse route and the 620 to the Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal.
There are 86 seats on each bus, plus room for 25 passengers to stand.
Amenities include at-seat lighting and climate control, as well as USB ports for charging mobile devices.
The busses are built by Alexander Dennis Manufacturing of the United Kingdom and assembled in North America.
Senior Training Manager Trevere LeFeuvre said double-deckers are popular because they take up less space on the road and bus stops don’t need to be as large.
“It’s very good to drive, very smooth,” he told CTV News. “It has a phenomenal balance mechanism”.
The new buses come with new challenges, as well.
“Our operators do need extra training,” said TransLink’s Lida Paslar. “And they’re going to train until we’re ready for service in October.”
Each bus costs a million dollars, but provides double the capacity of traditional busses. TransLink said most of the cost is paid for by drivers through the Federal Gas Tax.
