Four new 84-passenger buses will be added to Nanaimo school district’s fleet.
The Education Ministry has given the district $540,523 to buy the buses as part of its annual fleet renewal program.
Nanaimo school board passed a bylaw at a recent meeting that gives staff the green light to buy the vehicles.
Donna Reimer, school district spokeswoman, said the average age of the district’s fleet of 29 buses is 11.6 years old and the four oldest buses will be retired when the new ones arrive.
“Obviously the new buses will make quite an impact on the average age of the fleet,” she said.
A total of $14 million for 37 school districts was handed out to buy 125 buses provincially.
The ministry has negotiated bulk pricing agreements with school bus vendors for the second year. Last year, bulk pricing resulted in savings of 10-15 per cent.
Previously, districts negotiated bus pricing individually.
