Camden County honors Holcomb Bus Company for bringing electric school buses to Camden City

Commissioner Jeff Nash presented a proclamation recognizing Holcomb Bus Company for bringing electric school buses to Camden City and for plans to electrify more of its fleet.

The county liaison to the Department of Parks and the Environmental Affairs Division, Commissioner Jeff Nash, said the Holcomb Bus Company brought six electric buses into Camden City "with the intent of electrifying their entire fleet throughout the Delaware Valley." Nash introduced representatives from Holcomb and thanked partner organizations who supported the effort.

Nash said the buses reduce emissions from internal combustion engines that affect both outdoor air and the air inside buses carrying children. "That school bus, for the most part, is an internal combustion engine which produces a lot of emissions that are not healthy," Nash said.

Representatives from Holcomb Bus Company said they intended to continue deploying electric buses. "It is our intention to try to do the best we can to get students to and from school safely. And second to that is we are an environmentally friendly company," said a Holcomb representative.

Commissioners and attendees noted the company's partnership with Camden City schools. John Rell, identified at the meeting as senior director of transportation for the Camden City School District, said Holcomb has been "a great partner of ours for years now," and welcomed the electric buses on Camden City routes.

Other speakers at the presentation included Cherry Hill Councilwoman Sangeeta Doshi, Caroline McCollum of New Jersey Clean Communities, and Ed Howell of PSE&G; commissioners also recognized the environmental and public-health value of reducing diesel emissions from school fleets.

The proclamation was ceremonial; no formal county action or funding decision for the buses was announced during the presentation.

The county took a group photograph after the proclamation and proceeded with the meeting agenda.