Metro's hybrid bus fleet struggles to keep pace

WASHINGTON - They are promoted as clean, green and cost effective, but it turns out Metro's hybrid buses aren't keeping pace with the other buses in the transit agency's fleet.

In the last four months tracked, the average hybrid did not travel 10,000 miles before breaking down. Metro's other buses, which use compressed natural gas and clean diesel fuel, averaged more than 20,000 miles traveled during that time.

Mile Victoria, Metro's head of bus operations, attributes the problem to the hybrids' new technology.

"There's always small glitches that have to be looked at."

Metro currently has 50 hybrid buses on the road with about 300 more coming in the next four years. Metro's entire fleet of buses right now is just over 1,500.

"We are working with the vehicle manufacturer for a fix for an electronic problem that we had. So we should see the mileage (on the hybrids) go up," says Victoria.

He says the cost of a hybrid bus compared to a compressed natural gas bus is comparable.

Metro does say that compared to the national average, it's fleet of hybrid buses is performing well.

(Copyright 2008 by WTOP Radio. All Rights Reserved.)