TransLink pulling community shuttles years before life-expectancy due to fumes issue

TransLink is taking 62 community shuttles off the road over complaints toxic fumes were re-entering the 24-passenger cabin.

Complaints with the Navistar International coaches first arose shortly after the buses were put into service by TransLink in 2013, the fleet coming with a price tag of $3.8 million. Despite an attempted fix, the problem came back, this time, causing more than 100 documented cases of transit staff getting sick.

“We first became aware of it in May 2013,” said Colleen Brennan, TransLink’s VP of Communications back in September. “It’s come back again so we are looking into it.”

Brennan insists that ongoing testing shows all fume detection are still within WorkSafe BC limits.

Regardless, TransLink has received permission to relocate $9.35 million dollars in federal gas-tax funding to replace the problem fleet with 62 new gas-powered community shuttles. That money coming from $3.05 million in surplus from the purchase of 100 HandyDart vehicles. Another $6.3 million was meant for the purchase of 24 new diesel-powered community shuttles in 2015. The timeline to replace Navistar International shuttles is about 6 months.

While happy the shuttles will be off the road, the president of Unifor Local 111 says TransLink is “robbing Peter to pay Paul” by taking funding meant for the HandyDART program which could use the surplus funds. Nathan Woods says if TransLink hadn’t slashed budgets leaving fewer buses on the road, the transit authority would have been able to replace the problematic shuttles more easily.

Brennan says the buses would need to be replaced in a couple of years and adds pulling them off the road before the seven-year life expectancy is being done with safety in mind. 

A small number of buses had been pulled off the road by TransLink for testing and were replaced with older, recommissioned GMC models. The remaining Navistar shuttles will remain in operation until the new buses arrive. 

While the transit authority said it was working with the manufacturer to eliminate the problem completely, Woods says he believes they have given up on the option because the warranty on the buses is about to run out.

There are reports that Navistar is facing two class-action lawsuits over defects with its 2008-2013 model trucks equipped with MaxxForce Advanced EGR diesel engines, citing issues of reliability and coolant and exhaust fumes entering the passenger compartment.

When asked, Brennan says she is unaware of any plans to take legal action against Navistar as TransLink continues to work with the manufacturer on the ongoing problems.