Metro is sidelining nearly 100 buses following recent vehicle fires.
Two Orion VI-type buses caught fire in the past week. (Orion VI is just one of the models that make up Metro's fleet.) Yesterday's fire happened on Route 50 in Maryland. Last week, an identical bus caught fire on Interstate 66 in Virginia. No one was hurt in either incident.
The transit agency is pulling all Orion VI buses from service until further notice, says Metro General Manager and CEO Richard Sarles.
"Safety is our highest priority, and this is a prudent step until we fully understand the cause," Sarles said in a statement. "We will do everything possible to minimize customer impact while these buses are out of service."
Metro operates a fleet of nearly 1,5000 buses. Replacement buses usually in reserve will take the place of the pulled vehicles, according to the agency.
The 94 Orion VI buses operate using diesel fuel and were delivered in 2000. WMATA brought in an outside fire protection engineer last week to help investigate the cause of the fires.
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