Fall River, New Bedford to receive funding for new school buses

FALL RIVER, Mass. (WLNE) – The cities of Fall River and New Bedford, Massachusetts are set to receive federal funding for new electric school buses.

United States Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Ed Markey (D-Mass.) announced Monday that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is awarding funds for 135 clean school buses across several districts in Massachusetts.

The Clean Bus Grant Program was implemented to help school districts replace diesel school buses with electric or low-emission buses.

“With this funding, we can reduce health risks from air pollution, boost domestic manufacturing, and fight the climate crisis for the next generation,” Senator Warren said Monday. “This is a big win for our communities.”

DATTCO Motor Coach, a New England-based shuttle service,  will receive $33.3M to purchase 85 electric school buses for five districts across Connecticut and Massachusetts, including Fall River, New Bedford and Worcester.

The City of Boston was also selected to receive over $20M for 50 low-emission buses.

“This new funding for clean school buses from the Biden administration is going to help keep our communities and children safe from pollution,” Senator Markey explained. “I thank the EPA for enabling Massachusetts to continue down the road to cleaner air.”