The city of Ceres buying two buses for the Ceres Transit System which operate on congressed natural gas (CNG).

Last week the Ceres City Council authorized the $276,935 purchase, paid for by $165,000 of Proposition 1B bond funds administered through the California Air Resources Board and $150,000 in Local Transportation Funds.

The two 27-foot-long buses will join the three CNG buses that are used in the Ceres transit operation. Toby Wells, who is city engineer and deputy city manager, said the buses are more energy efficient and cost effective to operate.

The city contracts with Storer Transportation of Modesto to operate the Ceres Area Transit (CAT) bus system which includes the fixed route bus system and Dial-A-Ride. Storer agrees to maintain the buses but the city owns them.

The city is in the final year of a five-year contract with Storer and the city is poised to extend that contract another five years. Should something go wrong with the contractor, the city would retain the equipment and switch to another contractor.