Langford won’t lose its trolley buses

Langford’s trolley buses aren’t going anywhere – which might be considered both good and bad. Langford council has decided to hang on to the three signature rubber-wheeled diesel buses, which have been little used since ending regular service in 2017, despite a staff report that suggested they be sold to save on maintenance and insurance costs.

“I hate to say goodbye to something we cherish so much,” Coun. Lillan Szpak said. “People are emotionally connected to it.”

She said it would be prudent to keep the buses because they became a symbol with their own sign posts and branding.

“I think it’s a real opportunity for our community to step up and use their skill and volunteerism,” Szpak said.

Coun. Mary Wagner agreed, saying the buses are “iconic and a unique asset to Langford.”

Other councillors said the trolleys could be retrofitted for better accessibility or used as “static displays” for shade and resting areas at markets and parks, or even be converted to food trucks.

Langford started its trolley service in 2007, covering routes not offered by B.C. Transit.

The trolleys looped through Langford with stops at recreation and retail centres such as City Centre Park, Westshore Town Centre, Goldstream, ¬Langford Town Centre, Millstream Village and Costco.

During their peak year in 2015, the buses carried 43,550 passengers.

The three buses were bought between 2007 and 2013 for about $80,000 each.

Increasing repair costs scuttled the service in 2017.

Costs to operate the free service had risen to more than $220,000 a year, while donations, advertising and rentals barely covered 10 per cent of that.

Staff said only one of the ¬trolleys — the newest, a 2009 model — could be made ¬accessible by repairing the ¬passenger lift at an estimated cost of $60,000. The repair, however, is not economical based on the current value of the trolley.

Since the end of regular service, the red and green buses have been gathering dust in a garage on Happy ¬Valley Road, rolling out only for the Canada Day and Christmas parades. Only one of the three trolleys still runs, although another could be fixed. The third is being used for spare parts, according to the staff report.

For the past five years, the city has averaged $6,000 in annual maintenance costs and $5,000 in annual insurance costs for all three trolleys.

Only one city staff member is licensed to drive the trolleys to be serviced. The last time a trolley was used, for the Christmas parade, a driver had to be hired at a cost of $800.

Coun. Kimberly Guiry voted against keeping the trolleys, citing concerns about their accessibility. “I would rather move forward with something that was accessible to all Langford residents,” she said.

The staff report, which recommended selling the trolleys as a group in an online auction, said that another local municipality has asked about buying the buses.