New buses are too big for our roads
The Department of Public Transportation have received the first three of sixteen new buses, but they are slightly too wide for the current limit.
A Department spokesman confirmed yesterday that while the current width limit for buses is set at 2.3m, the new vehicles are approximately 2.38m wide.
“Vehicle width is a determination of the axle width and to a degree, vehicle height,” the spokesman said. “Procuring a standard chassis / axle combination that meets the current 2.3m limit at a cost that falls within an acceptable price range, has become increasingly difficult.
“The alternative would mean an entirely custom built bus in small quantities which would lead to very high per unit costs. Then there would be the additional cost of certifying the custom units as roadworthy and structurally compliant.”
The spokesman said the new buses were built in Portugal using standard parts with Bermuda’s needs in mind, saving the Government $40,000 per vehicle.
The vehicles included wider cushioned seats, a video recording system and a separately temperature controlled operator environment.
While the cost of these particular buses was not stated, Government notices in Wednesday’s edition of The Royal Gazette stated that the Ministry of Tourism Development and Transport had awarded Delta Bus Company a contract on December 3, 2013, to produce six buses at a price of $260,000 per unit.
The Department of Public Transportation currently has a fleet of 112 buses, the last of which were purchased in 2009.
“The Department correlates the age of a bus with the reliability of the vehicle, with older buses experiencing more service issues,” the spokesman said. “As such, the weighted average age is calculated and monitored to ensure that it remains less than seven years.
“In 2007, the weighted average age was 6.1, however currently it stands at 8.2, resulting in increased maintenance costs and service reliability issues. The addition of the new buses will help to reduce the weighted average age of the fleet and improve the service reliability.”
