In December, Halifax welcomed the delivery of their brand new electric bus, the inaugural unit that notes the arrival of potentially 200 new units by the end of 2024. This is part of Halifax Transit’s Zero Emission Bus Project, which also includes expanding the Ragged Lake Transit Centre and a rebuild of the Burnside Transit Centre, expected to be completed by 2028.
Members of It’s More Than Buses advocacy group raises concerns about overcrowding having commented the need for higher capacity buses while these electric buses are the same size, however with the addition of these new buses and infrastructure, and plans to replace the fleet over time, we may start to see more consistent routes – IF they can get to their stops on time.
Sustainable Bus says the buses come from appropriately named Nova Bus and that orders have already been authorized with an order of 30 units authorized for sale in 2023, and 30 more authorized for 2024.
This joins the news of an incoming 56 electric vehicle charging ports being installed around the city, adding to more than 43000 across the country as well as Canada’s plan to completely phase out the sale of gas-powered vehicles by 2035.