The South Bend Public Transportation Corporation, known as Transpo, is already using ten of the cleaner-burning and cost-efficient buses. Six more will be on the roads soon and the agency has another three that are on order and are scheduled to be delivered in early 2016.

The new buses run on compressed natural gas and can each accommodate more riders than the agency's older diesel-powered buses. Each one costs around $450,000.

The agency says it plans to upgrade the entire fleet over the next five years as funding is made available.

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