GTA getting a handle on maintenance

MOSES LAKE — Grant Transit Authority is starting to get a handle on its bus maintenance issues.

“We’re outsourcing fewer and fewer buses,” said Greg Wright, general manager for Grant Transit Authority. “The maintenance department has been working diligently on decreasing the backlog of out of service vehicles.”

In the past, GTA has struggled with maintaining its fleet. A percentage of the fleet is aging and has high mileage. To help with the challenges presented by such buses, GTA applied for and received grants to purchase new buses.

“We just received four brand-new buses,” Wright said. “They should be in service next week.”

Three more buses are expected to arrive by the end of this month. GTA is also in the process of ordering two propane cutaway buses and two 30-foot-long coaches. The company expects to see the propane buses arrive by the end of the year, while the coaches won’t arrive for a year or more.

“We’re starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel,” Wright said.

Rachal Pinkerton may be reached via email at [email protected].