Monday March 16, 2026 | VICTORIA, BC
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
The first two of 39 new double-decker buses are being rolled out by The Victoria Regional Transit System.
The goal is to help strengthen public transit across the region with safe and reliable transportation, says BC Transit.
Route 95:
The new Enviro 500 model Alexander Dennis buses will help customers move through high-demand routes, like the 95 Blink RapidBus, which has over 11,000 daily boarding.
That will help to connect people from Langford, Colwood, View Royal and Saanich to Victoria and back, said BC Transit in a news release on Friday March 13.
The 95 route at its western-most point goes to Jacklin and Langford Parkway but does not extend along Langford Parkway to Westhills whihc might better serve students at Belmont Secondary and people who shop in stores along Langford Parkway or go to the Starlight Stadium.
At some of the Route 95 stops, BC Transit patrol officers will board the bus to check that passengers have paid their full fare when boarding.
Bus capacity:
Each bus has the capacity to seat 80 passengers, with room for up to 24 additional standing passengers on the lower level. They also include a range of convenient features, such as:
- Umo fare payment technology for faster, more convenient pay options and trip-planning tools;
- USB ports (including both USB A&C) at each seat to charge mobile devices;
- BC Transit’s NextRide system for real-time bus locations and onboard audio stop announcements on both the upper and lower levels;
- Full-colour digital screens that display NextRide information like upcoming stops, current route, and service alerts;
- A monitor at the bottom of the stairs to view upper-level seating availability;
- Two improved mobility aid positions for wheelchair securement;
- Modern vinyl seating that is easy to clean and resists dirt and contaminants;
- Bike rack to accommodate two bikes with tires up to 3 inches wide;
- Side-mounted ‘docking lights’, which are designed to illuminate the bus stop area and increase safety for boarding and exiting passengers; and
- Numerous maintenance and operator improvements to increase vehicle reliability and operational performance.
Replacing 29 existing buses:
Of the 39 new buses, 29 will replace existing buses nearing the end of their service life to keep service in the Victoria Regional Transit System (VRTS) dependable.
The remaining 10 buses will expand the VRTS fleet, supporting service expansion announced in January 2026.
Funding:
Twenty-nine double-double decker buses were funded through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP), with approximate contributions each from the Government of Canada ($20.99M), Province of British Columbia ($21.89M), and the Victoria Regional Transit Commission ($12.4M) for a total of $55.3M.
The remaining 10 double-decker purchase was made possible through a cost-sharing agreement between the Province of British Columbia ($8.4M) and the Victoria Regional Transit Commission ($12.0M) for a total of $20.4M.
===== RELATED:
NEWS SECTIONS: BC TRANSIT | GREATER VICTORIA | WEST SHORE LOCAL