CAMARILLO : City to Purchase 3 Mid-Size Buses

The city of Camarillo will purchase three mid-size buses to replace two older buses that make up the city’s public transportation service.

At Wednesday’s meeting, the council authorized staff members to advertise for bids from bus manufacturers whose vehicles are made in the United States.

Eighty percent of the $240,000 cost for the buses will be offset by a grant from the Federal Transit Administration.

Camarillo’s independent two-bus system is not part of the South Coast Area Transit system.

The service runs between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m., covering most of the city’s major streets, said Tom Fox, transportation and traffic engineer.

The system carries about 1,300 riders a month.

The fare is $1, but the city provides a discount to seniors over 55, disabled people and students.

Fox said the purchase is necessary because the current buses “are old and break down once a week.”

“Unless we get replacement buses, we won’t have any,” Fox said. “Senior citizens and high school students are the predominant riders and they could lose their transportation.”