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Woodstock Council Says No To Electric Bus

Friday, 7 October 2016 at 05:25

Woodstock Council has decided against bringing in electric buses, and will instead purchase two new diesel models.

WOODSTOCK - The City of Woodstock will not be getting electric buses anytime soon.

Woodstock City Council has decided not to participate in CUTRIC's Pan-Ontario Electric Bus Demonstration and Integration Trial. By participating the in the trial the city would have had to purchase two electric buses and a charger.

Councillor Shawn Shapton tells Heart FM why he voted against electric busing.

"This is a system that is already so heavily supplemented in our community and to add another 600 plus thousand on the backs of the taxpayers just wasn't feasible. I'm not saying no to green energy, I'm just saying no to this project - it's just out of our scope from a cost perspective."

Two electric buses and a charger would have cost about $3,000,000 before any help from provincial or federal funding.

Councillor Jerry Acchione supported bringing electric buses to Woodstock but says he understands why his fellow council members voted against it and believes we may still see electric buses on city streets years down the road.

"There's no question that vehicles are going electrification. Diesel is an old technology, it's dirty, and it's expensive. Electrification is going to happen, we're not going to lead anymore we'll just have to be the followers."

The city will instead be purchasing two diesel buses for $1,021,224. They will be applying for $510,612 in funding from the Public Transit Improvement Fund to help foot the bill.

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