Back in the 1960s, young Elroy from “The Jetson’s” vintage animated TV show used to get dropped off at the Little Dipper School in the family flying saucer with its little bubble top. That was quite a contrast with the big diesel buses – spewing smelly pollution – that kids actually rode to school.
Sixty-odd years later school transport is finally getting an upgrade for some kids on Vancouver Island.
They won’t be flying saucers or personal jetpacks, but it’s a big step towards a fossil free future.
This spring, electric buses are hitting the road in 13 school districts across B.C., including Nanaimo-Ladysmith, Qualicum, Cowichan Valley, Vancouver Island West, and Vancouver Island North. The very first of these buses started picking up kids this week in Sooke on the lower Island.
The new e-buses are more expensive. They cost about $350,000, while a diesel bus costs about $150,000.
But, the e-buses are cheaper to maintain and cheaper in the long run. Tracey Syrota, transportation manager with the Sooke school district, told CBC News that e-buses cost about 40% less to maintain. Also, it costs about $175 to fill up the tank for a 550km trip, but only $50 to charge the e-bus. The e-bus can only go half as far as the diesel bus on one charge, but it still costs less money overall.
The e-buses are also better for the environment, and they’re a quieter and smoother ride.
Al Kowalko, a bus driver in Sooke, says the new controls take some getting used to. In an interview with CBC, Kowalko said the dashboard “[l]ooks like something out of Star Wars.” Drivers will get special training on the new buses.
Even though the new electric school buses don’t don’t look like the futuristic school transport of the Jetsons, they are a big step forward.
