The time has arrived for the unveiling of Mississippi’s First Battery Electric Bus (BEB) for public transit. This event will be held on Earth Day, Friday, April 22, at 10:00 a.m. at the Gulfport Transit Center. Speakers will include Gulfport Mayor Billy Hewes; Biloxi Mayor Andrew “FoFo” Gilich; Public Service Commissioner Dane Maxwell; MDOT Director of Intermodal Planning Charles Carr; Mississippi Power President and CEO Anthony Wilson; and Coast Transit Authority (CTA) Executive Director Kevin Coggin, with entertainment by Anniston Elementary.
“This is the next level of vehicles Coast Transit Authority will utilize to preserve this beautiful environment we all enjoy on the Mississippi Gulf Coast,” said Kevin Coggin, Executive Director of Coast Transit Authority. “We are thankful for our partnership with Mississippi Power to bring this exciting, new addition to our fleet.”
This Battery Electric Bus, manufactured by Gillig, is zero-emission and 35-feet long. Funding was made possible by grants from the U.S. Department of Transportation, Mississippi Power, and Coast Transit Authority (CTA). This unveiling is open to the public with free parking at the CTA parking garage located at the Gulfport Transit Center (1401 20th Avenue, next to the Mississippi Aquarium).
“We applaud CTA’s commitment to sustainability and leading a cleaner future by bringing the first all-electric public transit bus to Mississippi,” Mississippi Power President and CEO Anthony Wilson said. “Electrification is the future, and we’re proud to partner with CTA to bring this innovative technology to south Mississippi.”
The green and clean electric bus builds on a progression of CTA’s environmentally friendly fleet since 2003. CTA currently operates with a fleet of hybrid electric and dual-fueled (gas and propane) buses on fixed and demand response services.
For more information including bus routes, call 228-896-8080, visit www.coasttransit.com, or go to the CTA Facebook or Instagram page.
