First Globally Sourced and Assembled (GSA) Transit Bus Sold in Canada

CORNWALL, PEI, Sept. 23 /CNW/ - With headquarters in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Transplus Inc. has sold its first transit bus designed to meet the growing demand for mass transit systems.

Cornwall, Prince Edward Island took possession of the low-floor accessible bus earlier this month and became the first community in Canada to buy the Globally Sourced and Assembled (GSA) transit bus, model GSA 40LF.

Transplus President, Mike Legere said the bus uses Canadian design know-how to meet expectations for quality, serviceability and price. Legere said, "We can serve existing systems in larger areas but what makes us excited is the small to medium-sized communities who are considering new low-floor accessible buses in their start-up phase or for expanding their existing transit fleets. We're also willing to be creative in the way Transplus assists these communities, whether it is helping raise the awareness of the system or finding creative financial solutions. That could involve leases, rentals, trades or whatever is needed to meet their needs."

Legere said, "We're anticipating that other communities will look at this and say if Cornwall can do it, maybe we can too."

For Legere, the solution to finding a transit niche was using Canadian intellectual capacity to design the bus, sourcing parts in North America with final assembly in China. Legere said, "We call it a GSA bus. Premium components have been supplied by brand name partners that our customers are familiar with. Among them:  Cummins engines and Bendix brakes from the US with Tectran valves and hoses from Canada.  An experienced bus mechanic won't find much that is unfamiliar under or in the bus.  It was designed to be serviced in North America."

Mike Cassidy, transit operator for the PEI Capital Region of Cornwall, Charlottetown and Stratford is impressed with the unit. "Its exterior design is turning heads on the streets and my mechanic's familiarity and confidence with the new GSA 40LF bus was almost immediate because of the North American parts."

Transplus has a parts warehouse and service center located in Dieppe, New Brunswick, ideally situated next to air, rail and road services within the Greater Moncton area.

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For further information:

Michael (Mike) Legere, President, Transplus Inc.
[email protected]
Website is under construction at www.transplusbuses.com
Office:   506-455-4142 (ext. 102)