SEPTA Board approves a contract for new buses

Anthony Campisi

March 23, 2012

The SEPTA Board approved the purchase of 155 60-foot articulated and 90 40-foot hybrid buses from Nova Bus as part of its bus fleet replacement program on Thursday.

The buses supplied by the Canadian-based subsidiary of Volvo Buses will run with hybrid diesel engines and cost SEPTA about $171 million. The delivery of vehicles is set to commence in December.

The board also approved a three-year $8 million contract with Red Tettermer Inc. for advertising services.

The contract contains two two-year options and calls on the firm to develop a comprehensive multimedia marketing plan for SEPTA.

At the meeting, electricians union head John Dougherty also voiced complaints about several contracts SEPTA has recently awarded to firms that are in dispute with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 98.

Other representatives of Local 98 protested SEPTA’s awarding of a major regional rail signaling contract last month for the same reason.

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