Pembroke Council has once again voted down the purchase and use of electric buses in years two and three of the current pilot public transit project which came into effect this summer.
Deputy Mayor Brian Abdallah, who has been a staunch supporter and key figure in spearheading the project made an impassioned plea to Council on September 16th to reconsider a motion for electric buses that had been previously voted down by Council.
The reported reasons for voting down the motion was that the cost of the chargers and the lead time necessary for installation were considered to be prohibitive at this time. Safety issues were also noted as a recent incident of electric bus batteries igniting in Montreal was raised.
Electric buses have been a source of concern in many municipalities in the past and currently as they can sometimes catch fire, however, Pembroke Fire Chief Scott Selle noted at the Council meeting that he did not see any reason for concern along these lines. Selle went on to add that the Province supports the use of electric vehicles and is spending millions of dollars promoting their use.
Council remains largely divided on the issue as it was voted down by a narrow margin but further information will be gathered by those who support the move and will be brought forward in a future Council session sometime in October of this year.
(Written By: Richard Evans)