School buses back on the roads after fire forces mass inspection

Lion electric school buses are parked at the Autobus Beaconsfield-Scolaire Élite depot in Montreal, Friday, Sept. 12, 2025, after the government pulled the electric buses off the roads in the province following a fire. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes)

All Lion Electric school buses are expected to be back on the roads across Quebec Monday morning after a fire in Montreal forced a mass inspection of the fleet.

• READ MORE: Most electric school buses back on Quebec roads after fire forces full inspection

The English Montreal School Board (EMSB) confirmed the news, saying all the buses had been “repaired, inspected, and cleared for operation.”

The Lester B. Pearson School Board (LBPSB) seconded the announcement, noting that “our transportation carriers have confirmed that all safety inspections have been successfully completed.”

Earlier this month, 1,200 buses were pulled from service, affecting schools, students and bus lines across the province, so inspectors could examine their wiring and electrical connections.

The cancellations came after an electric school bus burst into flames in Montreal’s Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce borough.

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

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