The City of Fredericton and Fredericton Transit are working to make winter travel safer with a new winter storm plan, and enhanced communications and driver dispatch protocols.
The safety measures follow a December 29, 2025, incident where a city transit bus slid off the road in winter conditions while in service on Hilton Road.
An internal safety investigation concluded that rapidly changing weather and an inability to quickly suspend service were contributing factors to the incident. The bus was found to be in good working condition, and the driver was not at fault.
Fredericton Police also investigated the incident as a motor vehicle collision. No charges or tickets were issued.
“Safety for passengers and operators is the top priority of Fredericton Transit, and this was a rare incident that the team at Fredericton Transit has taken very seriously with support from the city’s corporate safety division” said Fred Gerrior, Manager of Fredericton Transit. “Public transit remains among the safest ways to travel in our community, however even one incident is too many and that’s why we are making enhancements to keep passengers and drivers safer in winter conditions while we get them where they need to go.”
Fredericton Transit is moving forward with three initiatives to improve safety, including:
- Fredericton Transit Winter Storm Plan to enable quick and effective decision-making for transit operations (Completed March 2026)
- Dynamic communication plan for transit service interruptions (Target Summer 2026)
- Active, on-street dispatch and supervision (Target Fall 2026)
The new measures will build on Fredericton Transit’s existing safety protocols for weather, road conditions, and emergencies. Transit buses are already built for safety, with high visibility and structural protection, and standards for mandatory maintenance and inspection.
This incident occurred during a flash freeze in a winter storm while the bus was in service and carrying 12 passengers on Hilton Road.
Police, fire, ambulance, and NB Power responded, and six passengers plus the driver were transported to the hospital and treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
The bus involved in the incident was a 2024 Nova Bus that went into service in March 2025. At the time of the incident, the bus was in good condition. New tires were installed in November 2025 with a preventive maintenance inspection being completed on December 8, 2025.
Fredericton Transit typically carries up to 6,800 riders safely throughout the city every weekday, with thousands more relying on transit through the weekends. The city’s transit service makes more than 1100 trips every week, representing 1.72 million kilometres of service. With new routes, Fredericton Transit expects to exceed 2.05 million kilometres of service in 2026.