The Benefits and Challenges of Electrifying New Brunswick's School Bus Fleet
In this webinar, Adam Mahoney, our Climate Change and Energy Solutions Program Coordinator, leads a discussion on the benefits and challenges of converting the province’s school bus fleet to electric, what we’ve discovered throughout our research, and what our next steps in our campaign to electrify New Brunswick’s school buses. This webinar was presented on June 22, 2022.
This webinar was co-hosted by the Conservation Council of New Brunswick in partnership with the Ecology Action Center (EAC), as part of our research into the challenges and opportunities of electrification, conducting stakeholder outreach, and advocating for government policies with support from the Trottier and Echo foundations.
Featured Speakers
Tomas Murphy (Pupil Transportation Coordinator) is the pupil transportation coordinator for the department of education and early childhood development where he oversees the management of over 1200 school buses and the safety of over 75,000 students who are transported daily by our school buses. Tomas looks after the procurement of new school buses, the training program for new drivers, as well as policy and budgetary responsibilities on behalf of the department.
Mike Franklin (Logistics Specialist with the PEI Public Schools Branch) is the Logistics specialist with the Public Schools Branch in Prince Edward Island where he oversees the training program for electric school buses. Mike has 22 years of experience in teaching both urban transit operators and school bus operators, as well as 20 years of experience serving in the Canadian Armed Forces as a tank commander.