Howard bus riders getting steamed

Howard County (Map, News) - Some Howard County commuters are getting a little hot under the collar because air conditioning on transit buses has been "strained."

"Whenever an air conditioner breaks down, we try to take the bus out of service to the extent possible without compromising service," said Carl Blaser, chief of transportation for Howard County. "The age of some of our fleet has exacerbated the problem."

On days when it's just too darn hot, commuters on buses without functioning air conditions that stop at malls in Columbia and Laurel will receive free bottles of water.

First Transit Inc. is repsonsible for maintaining buses and has asked representatives from the air conditioning manufacturer to look into the problem. The transit company operates Howard Transit under a contract with the county. Howard Transit is administered by Corridor Transporation Corp., which is asking commuters to report problems.

"We should see immediate progress on repairing the bus climate control systems, but if problems are observed, [riders] are encouraged to call customer service," Ray Ambrose, CTC's administrator said. The toll-free number is 800-270-9553.

New buses ordered by the  county will not be delivered until after the summer.

kcarson@examiner.com