Electric buses have helped to cut the number of bus cancellations since their introduction in February, according to the Government.

Lawrence Scott, the Minister of Transport, told the House of Assembly that the bus service had “turned the corner”, thanks in part to the new vehicles.

“Over the last eight weeks, the department has delivered consistent and reliable service without mass cancellations,” he said.

“Even after deploying public buses to ensure students arrived at school safely and on time this past Monday, there was only one cancellation to the published schedule, a marked improvement over summer last year when cancellations were up to 50 a day.”

Mr Scott added that the ministry intended to buy another ten electric buses in the coming months to make almost half of the island’s fleet electric, while putting forward legislation to lay the groundwork for digital fares.

He said: “The electric buses have only been operating for over two months.

“The feedback from residents is that the journey on the new buses is a more enjoyable experience with a quiet, smooth ride and no exhaust fumes at the bus stops.”

Bermuda’s electric buses were manufactured by the Golden Dragon Bus Company in China and were delivered in three instalments.

The first of the vehicles came into service in April and were said at the time to be performing well on the island’s roads.