School bus fire in Montreal forces inspection of 1,200 Lion buses, halts service to students

A total of 1,200 Lion Electric school buses were taken out of service as a preventive measure after one of them caught fire earlier this week in Montreal.

A total of 1,200 Lion Electric school buses were taken out of service on Friday as a preventive measure after one of them caught fire earlier this week in Montreal.

“We have been informed that a defect in a Lion school bus may have caused a fire,” said Quebec Education Minister Sonia LeBel and Transport Minister Jonatan Julien in a joint statement released Thursday evening. “No compromises will be made when it comes to safety on school buses.”

• READ MORE: Electric school bus bursts into flames, driver and children are okay

The vehicles are set to undergo a preventive inspection this weekend, with the Quebec government insisting it is monitoring the situation closely.

“If adjustments are necessary on the vehicles, alternatives will be offered to parents for transporting their children to school next week,” the statement reads.

The company acknowledged the inspection procedures, saying it is working closely with the Government of Quebec and Transport Canada to confirm the safety of its fleet and “ensure the full and prompt resumption of school transportation services.”

Late Friday, Lion said that its buses will gradually return to the road on Monday.

“The plan, based on a preventive inspection bulletin developed by LION over the past few days and sent to all affected operators, provides for continued checks throughout the weekend,” the company said. “As a result, vehicles will be progressively authorized to return to the road as they are cleared for service.”

Student impact

The decision complicated school transport on Friday for students who rely on the service, with English school boards and French service centres across the province being asked to take the “necessary measures” to limit the impact on students.

On Thursday evening, several boards and centres posted messages to social media, warning parents of the abrupt interruption in service.

The English Montreal School Board (EMSB) stated that “no transportation will be available [Friday] for students who normally use these electric buses.”

Routes cancelled include 101, 102, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 113, 114, 117, 118, 119, 121, 122, 124, 126, 130, 131, 132, 133, 134, 201, 202, 203, 204, 206, 207, 208, 210, 211, 212, 213, 214, 215, 220, 222, 227, 228, 229, 230, 233, 234, 235, 236, 238, 239, 240, 242, 243, 244, 248, 249, 254, 256, 257, 259, 260, 261, 262, 263, 265, 266, 269, 271, 274, 275, 276, 277, 284 and 285.

The school board noted that all diesel buses would continue to operate as usual.

The Lester B. Pearson School Board (LBPSB) also confirmed that students on certain bus routes “will not be receiving transportation services on Friday.”

“Families will need to plan accordingly for transportation to and from school for their children,” the board notes.

The buses affected are 1, 2, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 45 and 46.

Riverside School Board on the South Shore said it was informed that all affected buses, both electric and diesel, were removed from service.

The buses not in service are 27, 28, 29, 34, 35, 38 and 39.

The Sir Wilfrid Laurier School Board asked that families arrange transportation for their children while inspections are underway.

The buses affected are 2, 3, 5, 14, 19, 24, 25, 33, 104, 300, 305, 405, 602, 641, 645, 703, 704, 731, 804 and 821.

As of Friday morning, the Eastern Townships School Board and the New Frontiers School Board had not confirmed if service would be affected.

This comes after an electric school bus burst into flames on Tuesday in Montreal’s Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce borough.

The incident occurred at 8 a.m. on Victoria Avenue and Jean-Talon Street Ouest.

The driver and six children safely exited the bus and took shelter in a nearby building, but the vehicle was a total loss.

Montreal fire department Chief Martin Guilbault said the cause of the fire remains unknown, but confirmed it was not due to the electric battery.