Bus rides in Greater Victoria free on Monday for Earth Day

Transit users in Greater Victoria will be able to ride the bus for free on Monday in honour of Earth Day.

BC Transit is making transit free for riders on April 22 in the capital region in an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The transit agency said Friday that funding is now in place for it to purchase 141 battery-electric buses for its B.C. fleet. That’s up from 115 promised in July 2023.

The Crown corporation is aiming to have a fully electric fleet by 2040, but just who will supply those buses remains to be seen.

BC Transit’s $20-million contract with Proterra, a Californiabased manufacturer, fell through after the company applied for bankruptcy.

BC Transit could not reach an agreement with North Carolinabased Phoenix Motors, which had acquired Proterra after it declared bankruptcy and is now looking for another partner to supply its electric buses.

It recently issued a request for suppliers to prequalify to supply 40-foot-long heavy-duty electric transit buses.

The transit agency is returning its loaner demonstration electric bus that had previously been active in the capital region.

Other communities in the province that will also have free bus service on Monday include the West Kootenay, Penticton, and Whistler, BC Transit said.

The capital region emits about 1.86 million tonnes of C02 emissions annually, according to a 2022 greenhouse-gas-emission study by the Capital Regional District.

On-road transportation makes up 41.5 per cent — or about 765,000 tonnes — of total CO2 emissions reported in the CRD, the report said, with local travel by passenger vehicles, light trucks, and SUVs creating most of those emissions.

“Taking public transit is one way to make a difference,” BC Transit said in a statement. “BC Transit is committed to making a positive impact on our environment.”