CBS defers awarding of public transit plan contract

By Mark Squibb
December 1, 2023 Edition

The Town of Conception Bay South is making a short pit stop before embarking further on the creation of a public transit plan.

According to the minutes of council’s economic development committee, which were approved at last week’s public council meeting, the Town has received a number of quotes from consultants who answered a call for proposals to produce an implementation plan. The committee, however, advised council to defer awarding the contract until work is finished on a related file. The specifications for the implementation plan could be affected by the outcome of the other file.

While CBS is the largest municipality on the Northeast Avalon aside from St. John’s, it does not participate in Metrobus, which serves the capital, Paradise and Mount Pearl.

Last April, the federal government announced some $482,000 in funding for two electric buses for Holyrood. Since then, the council there has been looking for $120,000 in government funding to cover its portion of the cost of operating the buses. The Town did secure $55,000 in provincial government funding to hire a consultant to identify the costs associated with running the service.

Holyrood Deputy Mayor Michelle Woodford, speaking to reporters at the announcement last spring, warned it would be at least a year before the service is up and running.