The Mountain View School Division is replacing its aging bus fleet in Dauphin, Manitoba, to ensure students have more reliable and accessible rides to school by Spring 2026. This plan targets older diesel buses that often failed during extreme cold weather and aims to meet new provincial rules for wheelchair access.
The division is phasing out buses that are more than 12 years old and replacing them with newer models that handle freezing temperatures better. These new vehicles will help prevent cancellations like those seen during the record-breaking cold in January 2026, while also adding GPS tracking and ramps for students who use wheelchairs.
These changes help the division follow the Manitoba Accessibility Standard for Transportation, which requires all school transport to be fully accessible by January 1, 2027. To help with a local driver shortage, the division is also using a new training program to get more drivers behind the wheel of these updated buses.
Money for the new buses comes from a 3.4 per cent increase in Manitoba Education funding and the Canada Public Transit Fund. While the new buses are more reliable, the division is currently reviewing its busing rules for families living close to schools to make sure there is enough room for everyone on the new routes.
