On February 13, city officials and representatives from Mississauga Transit and the Government of Canada gathered at the Central Parkway Transit Campus to celebrate the addition of new vehicles to serve commuters and the modernisation of services to improve public transit across the region.
Since 2009, Mississauga has purchased a total of 168 new busses, replacing 112 older vehicles to increase its fleet to meet the demand and growing needs of residents and visitors. The new kneeling busses feature a low floor and are equipped with ramps that allow passengers to board and exit the bus with ease. Voice and visual stop announcement systems call out and display pre-recorded stop information onboard, alerting passengers of the next stop.
Busses also feature external audio-visual displays announcing the route name, number and direction, to help ensure that all customers have access to the information they require. These features are especially beneficial for riders with visual or hearing impairments.
“Public transit is important to the future growth and quality of life in Mississauga and the GTA, which is why I am pleased to support the City of Mississauga’s decision to invest $53,600,000 of the federal Gas Tax Fund in the purchase of these impressive new buses,” said Bob Dechert, Member of Parliament for Mississauga-Erindale. “This investment, along with investments in Go Transit and the Mississauga Transitway, will make people’s daily commute to work, school and health care appointments faster and easier and will benefit our environment by encouraging Mississauga residents to leave their cars at home.”
The Government of Canada contributed $53,600,000 through the Gas Tax Fund towards these projects. The City is responsible for the remaining $56,800,000 of the total project of $110,400,000.
“This is an important investment toward improving public transit service and accessibility for all Mississauga residents,” said Mayor Bonnie Crombie. “The addition of new MiWay buses – fully equipped with modern technology – will better ensure students, seniors, families, and commuters can travel throughout Mississauga easier and more reliably. I am committed to working with all Members of Council to partner with the federal government to deliver real results for the people of Mississauga.”
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