AC Transit has begun introducing 65 new buses to its fleet of around 700, aiming to reduce emissions and increase passenger safety.
Ten of the 65 new buses are now in service, and by midsummer the rest will be cycled in to replace older buses that are now at the end of their service time, according to AC Transit Manager of Media Affairs Clarence Johnson.
According to an AC Transit press release, features of the new buses include universal front-facing passenger seating, accommodations for strollers, an increased number of security cameras and low and slip-resistant flooring. The bus is also environmentally friendly, reducing exhaust emissions by 90 percent.
After looking for a local bus manufacturer, AC Transit obtained the buses through a $33 million contract with Gillig Corporation in Hayward, Calif. The contract is part of a plan to introduce 300 new American-made buses over the next two years, though not all of them will come from Gillig, Johnson said.
Contracting with a local manufacturer is favorable “because it stimulates the local economy, and it helps to bring jobs and keep revenue in our community where we operate,” Johnson said.
Since 2003, AC Transit had run Belgian-designed buses called Van Hools that produced many complaints and criticisms from passengers about the smoothness of the ride, the location of call buttons and the safety of boarding.
“There was some dissatisfaction with the bus,” Johnson said. “So this is an attempt by the agency to give our riders a better bus, one that our riders are happy with.”
Contact Yvonne Ng at [email protected].