Lion Electric says school buses could return Monday, pending safety checks

The Lion Electric Company says its 1,200 school buses could begin returning to service as early as Monday, following mass inspections prompted by a fire in Montreal earlier this week.

In a statement Saturday, the company said the Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ) has approved its plan for a gradual and safe return to the roads.

Lion says inspections are continuing through the weekend, with buses to be progressively cleared for service once they pass preventive checks.

The company also reiterated that the vehicle fire in Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce did not involve the battery or propulsion system, and that it continues to work with Transport Canada to determine the exact cause.

But as of Saturday, provincial authorities, school boards and operators have not confirmed Lion’s announcement.

The Ministry of Transport said it had no information on the matter, while Education Minister Sonia LeBel’s office only repeated that preventive inspections would continue through the weekend, with alternatives to be offered to parents if adjustments are needed.

First Student (Transco), which operates hundreds of Lion buses across Quebec, told CityNews that “all affected buses remain out of service” and that safety is the company’s top priority.

“Buses will not return to the road until we are fully confident that they are safe,” the company said, adding it is working closely with Lion and Transport Canada.

The English Montreal School Board (EMSB) said it has not received any information from Lion about buses returning to service.

Operators have also expressed uncertainty. Andrew Jones, founder and president of Autobus Beaconsfield, said he had received no official confirmation. Shortly after being contacted by CityNews, he was sent a memo from the Fédération des transporteurs par autobus (FTA) acknowledging that “information is currently circulating” about a possible lifting of the ban, but stressing it was awaiting “an official statement” from the government.

The fire that triggered the inspections broke out Tuesday morning while a Lion Electric bus was carrying five students for the CSSDM.

All passengers were evacuated safely. The Montreal fire department has said the blaze was not linked to the bus’s battery.

Transport Canada has also confirmed it is investigating that incident, along with two other fires and a thermal incident involving LionC school buses since late 2024.

Lion Electric manufactures its electric school buses in Saint-Jérôme and says it remains committed to “rigour and collaboration” to ensure safe transportation for students.