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'Serious deficiencies' with bus maintenance in Greater Vancouver

Last Updated: Thursday, March 15, 2007 | 8:53 AM PT

CBC News

There are serious problems with the maintenance of TransLink's aging bus fleet in Greater Vancouver, according to internal documents obtained by CBC News.

The report by Coast Mountain Bus Service, a TransLink subsidiary, shows more than half the buses tested after regular maintenance, had not been fixed properly before being sent back out on the roads.

Lower Mainland transit buses go in for regular maintenance checks at the Coast Mountain Bus Company garage in Burnaby.
(CBC)

Some of the "serious deficiencies" identified by the company include damaged hoses, leaks and loose and chaffing wires. The report acknowledges that fires have been caused by these kinds of defects in the past.

However, Coast Mountain spokesman Doug MacDonald said the problems are not jeopardizing safety, adding that the study was done to identify weaknesses in maintenance.

"The issue was having these vehicles identified so that they could be brought in [to] a better properly managed program, rather than having them hit a critical point and then pulled off on the fence waiting to get scheduled for maintenance," he said.

"It's really for efficiency, rather than poor maintenance."

The company study also shows buses are breaking down more: Call-outs by mobile mechanic crews are up 15 per cent in the past six months, which means longer waits for passengers.

Coast Mountain said it has initiated several new practices since it completed the review, hoping the changes will help restore its maintenance record.

Meantime, TransLink spokesman Ken Hardie said he couldn't say at this time whether the company is satisfied with Coast Mountain's maintenance record.

This story is now closed to commenting.

External Links

Coast Mountain Bus Company's internal study

(Note: CBC does not endorse and is not responsible for the content of external sites - links will open in new window)

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