Unless new funding arrives in a timely fashion, city residents and Outside spectators could find themselves thumbing a ride during the Canada Games because a number of municipal buses may be in the shop.

That's the opinion of Whitehorse Transit manager Dave Muir. Promises of new funding for transit, announced by the federal government in recent years, have yet to materialize into real dollars, he said in an interview.

'With funding right now, everything is up in the air,' Muir said .

An expected $800,000 for new buses promised in the last federal budget has yet to materialize.

The $800,000, Muir said, was Whitehorse's share of the $800 million tagged onto the last federal budget by the federal NDP for municipal infrastructure and known as Act C-66.

Also, the city has yet to receive any money from another federal program, the Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund (MRIF), even though the city has applied twice, he said.

The city applied for $1 million in MRIF funding last June and again in November, Muir said. But to date, the city has received no funding commitments from the Yukon government, the body responsible for allocating federal MRIF funds.

'We need cash to replace our infrastructure, including buses,' Muir said, explaining that $1.8 million would mean about four new buses to add to the city's aging fleet.

He said time is a factor in purchasing the new buses as Whitehorse plans to place its order along with Edmonton Transit to receive a better deal, and that Edmonton will be purchasing its buses shortly.

In an interview this morning, George White, the city's maintenance services manager, confirmed a number of the city's buses in the fleet are aging.

White said the city currently has nine large buses ranging in age. They include two buses from 1982, one from 1992, four from 1997 and two from 2003.

The city also has two handy buses, he added.

The 1982 buses, according to White, have passed their use-by date and are only used 'as a last resort.'

The bus from 1992, he said, is also getting quite old, as are the four buses from 1994, which have 500,000 kilometres on them.

The buses which entered the fleet in 2003 have 250,000 kilometres on them, White added.

'Typically, after 250,000 kilometres, we replace the engines; at about 500,000 kilometres, we put them out the back door,' he said.

According to Infrastructure Canada, Bill C-66, which received royal assent late last year, 'provides for the transfer to the provinces and territories of an amount equal to a portion of the federal excise tax on gasoline and an additional $800 million over two years under Act C-66 to contribute to environmentally sustainable municipal and local infrastructure.'

MRIF, according to Infrastructure Canada, 'is a $1-billion fund (which) has been structured to provide a balanced response to local infrastructure needs in urban and rural Canada ...

'To ensure an equitable balance in the MRIF, each province and territory and first nations community will receive a base allocation of $15 million, with the remaining to be allocated on a per capita basis.'

In an interview this morning, Mayor Ernie Bourassa said he's aware of the need to replace buses in the city's aging collection.

'It's a concern; we're trying to replace them,' Bourassa said.

While the city is able to allocate about $450,000 a year, enough for one bus, MRIF's system of cost-sharing, one third from each level of government, would mean the city could stretch its dollar.

'So far, we haven't seen a dime,' Bourassa said about the federal funding initiatives.

He said he isn't concerned about the transportation of athletes during the 2007 Games because there is a special transit system planned for them. However, the mayor would like to see some funds from the federal programs directed toward city transit.

'We can't begin to plan how to spend this money until the money is in the bank,' Bourassa said.

Doug Caldwell, a spokesperson for the territorial Department of Community Services, said this morning the money promised in Bill C-66 hadn't materialized yet due to Parliament being dissolved for next Monday's federal election.

'We haven't got an agreement signed yet,' Caldwell said.

How the $800 million was allocated in Bill C-66 will have to be worked out with the new government after the election, he explained.

Caldwell said he wasn't able to comment on the status of the city's MRIF application.

'I'm not in a position to talk about it unless the proponent wants to talk about it,' he said.

'All of these programs have requirements attached to them,' he added.

Piers McDonald, the Games host society president, and Games manager Chris Morrissey could not be reached for comment.