EMSB and LBPSB confirm Lion buses cleared after inspections. Students in Montreal return to normal bus service Monday.
Service set to resume
School bus transportation will return Monday morning for students in the English Montreal School Board (EMSB) and the Lester B. Pearson School Board (LBPSB). Both boards confirmed their Lion bus fleets are now fully cleared after being sidelined for inspections.
Cause of the disruption
The fleets were pulled from service earlier this month after a Lion electric bus caught fire, prompting the manufacturer to recommend fuse replacements across about 1,200 buses in Quebec. The precautionary move grounded both electric and diesel buses.
Steps taken by officials
EMSB chair Joe Ortona announced Sunday that all buses were “repaired, inspected, and ready to roll.” The LBPSB issued a similar statement, emphasizing that all required safety checks had been completed. Both boards thanked families for their patience during the disruption.
Return of daily routes
Beginning Monday, regular school bus routes will be available again to students served by EMSB and LBPSB across the Montreal area. The service restoration applies to both electric and diesel Lion buses.
Focus on safety
First Student, the parent company of Transco—the operator of the bus involved in the fire—said the pace of inspections was slowed by limited access to replacement parts. As of last week, about 30 per cent of the company’s fleet had been repaired, with the remainder undergoing final checks.
Looking ahead
The incident has highlighted both the challenges and the importance of maintaining safety standards in Quebec’s transition toward electric school transportation. Officials have reassured families that all buses returning to service meet the required safety benchmarks.
