Metrobus intends to purchase 17 new electric and hybrid buses to replace older diesel-powered vessels, but one transit advocate says diesel power shouldn’t be decommissioned just yet. (Elizabeth Whitten/CBC)

A St. John’s transit advocate says that while funding for Metrobus to acquire new electric and hybrid buses to enhance its fleet is a good thing, the diesel buses they’d replace shouldn’t be taken out of service.

“These buses are great, but I would not take any of the diesel buses off the road unless they were physically [unavailable],” Myles Russell, a civil engineering technologist and director of the non-profit research group Streets are for People, told CBC News.

The federal and provincial governments announced more than $50 million in funding to Metrobus to purchase 17 new electric and hybrid buses. The buses would replace aging diesel powered buses to cut down on emissions, but likely won’t be on the road until the end of 2025, according to St. John’s Mayor Danny Breen.

Russell said he believes the older buses remain urgently needed in a time of growth for Metrobus, who are seeing over five million rides this year.

The City of St. John’s cut funding to Metrobus by $1.6 million in the 2024 budget, but brought back $598,000 for 2025.

“City council cut funding last year …because there was more money made by Metrobus. Metrobus was making more money because they were at capacity,” Russell said in a recent interview with the St. John’s Morning Show.

Russell pointed out that between the numbers buses that will be retired and replaced, Metrobus will only have a net gain of two buses through the latest announcement.

“The goal can’t simply be swap a diesel bus for an electric bus.”

Russell said there are also benefits diesel buses can provide to the city that electric buses couldn’t, including the ability to be more efficient for longer routes.

Myles Russell is a civil engineering technologist and head of the non-profit Streets are for People organization. (Submitted by Myles Russell)

Electric buses thrive on routes with short, fast stops, he said, on account that the buses will need time to recharge. For example, he estimates a bus that drives a route for an hour would need about 20 minutes to recharge once it gets back to the bus depot.

That could hamper routes with longer stops, leading to delays or an inefficient service.

“An electric bus is either going to 20 minutes of downtime or only going to be running for a couple hours a day, then have to go back to the depot for an hour. So it doesn’t really make for a continuous, frequent route.” Russell said.

Russell said he’d like to see Metrobus explore ways to facilitate both kinds of buses in their fleet.

One way could be bus rapid transit, he said — a high-frequency, low-stop system where buses have dedicated roadways and improved design features for passengers boarding and departing.

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