Winnipeg Transit has decided that smaller is better — at last for buses operating on many of its less-busy "feeder" routes.

Transit has now taken delivery of 16 Orion buses which, at 30 feet in length, are 10 feet shorter than most of the city's 535 buses. Six more of the Orions are on the way.

"We identified that we could be using smaller buses than we were on feeder routes particularly," says Rick Borland, director of transit.

Borland adds transit wanted the smaller buses for three basic reasons; increased fuel efficiency, lower initial outlan and greater community acceptance."

The Orions, he says, are at least 50 per cent more fuel efficient than full-size buses. And, at a price tag of $103,000 they also cost $17,000 to $22,000 less. Finally, transit feels the lighter buses, which often operate on residential streets, will be less noisy and bothersome.

The 31-passenger Orions, manufactured by Ontario Bus Industries Inc. of Mississauga, Ont., are the only buses of that size available on the marketplace, Borland says.

Winnipeg's Flyer Industries, which has supplied most of the city's fleet in recent years, manufactures mainly 40-foot models and a smaller number of 35-foot buses. Discussions were held with Flyer on supplying a shorter bus, Borland said, but the company decided against it.

"Flyer certainly gave it some thought but they felt the market (for the 30-foot buses) was too limited," Borland said, adding Flyer would be "a prime candidate& when the city again orders full-sized buses.

The transit director said 28 buses in all have been ordered from te Ontario manufacturer in a $3-million deal. Six of the buses are 35-footers.

Borland said the bulk of the funds — about $2.3 million — comes from te federal government through its Urban Transportation Assistance Program. The money was originally designated for the cancelled Sherbrook-McGregor overpass project.