A program that provides bus passes to refugees has been extended until the end of the year by B.C. Transit and the Victoria Regional Transit Commission. The program began in late 2015 to support an influx of refugees to the community.
New Umo system, to be rolled out first in Greater Vicrtoria, will accept payment via mobile app, debit and credit card, mobile wallet and reloadable smart card
An ongoing labour shortage combined with cases of COVID-19 among workers could lead to more service disruptions for bus transportation in the Victoria Regional Transit System. Driver illness led to dozens of route cancellations this past weekend.
CNG technology helps to reduce tailpipe emissions and cuts down on operational costs, B.C. Transit said. Natural gas for the CNG buses is supplied by FortisBC, while the CNG fueling station in Langford was built by Clean Energy which also provides maintenance. B.C. Transit’s new buses include 40-foot, heavy-duty models that can carry 35 seated passengers and 46 standing passengers. There are also USB ports for passengers to use and seats made of upgraded vinyl material that is easier to clean. Each heavy-duty CNG bus costs about $710,000. The federal and provincial governments are each funding about 40 per cent of the cost and the rest is coming from the Victoria Regional Transit Commission.