There will be a unique looking Transit Windsor bus in service soon.
Transit's current supplier 'Nova Bus' is lending Transit Windsor a longer articulated bus or a 'bendy bus' to test it out on city streets--at no cost.
Transit Executive Director Pat Delmore says the bus is in Windsor, but hasn't hit the streets yet until legal requirements are met, but he says it will hit the streets as soon as possible.
"We are going to do some maneuverability opportunities so you will see it all over the city, doing a number different routes in testing phases, we do plan to put it on our in-service routes, probably the route to Devonshire Mall," he says.
The bendy bus, which is seen in other larger cities, carries more riders but it also costs more to purchase.
An average bus is about $650,000 while a bendy bus is $850,000 plus there would need to be upgrades at the mainenance area if the bus were to be a long-term solution.
Courtesy of Kong Hem
Delmore says it will be in Windsor for a short time.
"We just want to give it an opportunity for people in the community to see it on the street, and I think the other piece of this puzzle is how well it fits right now with what we are doing with our Service Delivery Review, we are evaluating our entire system and looking at growth opportunities."
The bus will be in service for about a month, but Delmore says after Windsor tests it out, there will be internal discussions on what worked and didn't work.
--With files from AM800's Teresinha Medeiros and Peter Langille