More than $4m has been spent on the first of a fleet of electric buses, a public access to information announcement has revealed.

Costs associated with the 30 electric buses, parts and shipping amounted to $4.09m.

The notice in the Official Gazette added that $1.6m was spent by the Department of Public Transportation on minibuses to take schoolchildren to and from school when government buses were unavailable.

The electric buses cost $3.7m through a contract with Xiamen Golden Dragon Bus in China from August to November 2021.

Electric bus parts cost $66,227 with Xiamen Xinfengyuan Industry Co.

Bermuda Container Line signed a $265,871 contract for the transport of the buses from China to Bermuda that will run from November 2021 to April.

Electric charging stations were shipped by Meyer Freight between October 2021 and January at a cost of $66,830.

Minibus contracts included a $222,175 deal with the Bermuda Executive Minibus Alliance from September 13, 2021 to April 1, 2022.

The Bermuda Island Minibus Association was awarded a $247,030 contract from September last year to April 2.

The BIMA was also given a $628,075 contract that ran from February to June last year.

A $63,875 contract was given to Douglas Outerbridge, doing business as Flexi Transport Services, from February to June last year and from October last year to April 1.