Gatineau transit agency pulls buses for inspection after 2nd fire

The Socit de transport de l'Outaouais(STO) has taken 45 buses off the road to be looked over after a bus fire on aGatineau, Que., highway on Tuesday.

The agency said the driver was the only person on boardwhen they realized there was a fire at the back and pulled over where routes 5 and 50 meet just before 5 p.m.

It and a bus that caught fire in June 2021 were both articulated Nova Bus vehicles from 2012 and 2013, said an STO spokesperson in an interview with Radio-Canada.

The STO and manufacturer Nova Bus both said there isn't any information linking the two fires. They will inspect the buses together, the STO said, and hope to put them back in service.

The inspections will take a chunk out of the service's fleet of approximately 380 buses. The STO said it will do what it can to minimize disruptions and that it will prioritize school routes.