Low emissions bus trial set to be launched
December 12th, 2018
A new trial programme to assess buses based on green criteria was launched by the Minister for Transport this week.
The Low Emission Bus Trial will evaluate Dublin Bus and Bus Éireann buses for their level of CO2 emissions, energy efficiency, costs and infrastructural requirements.
The buses will be trialled on the number nine route in Dublin city and on number 207a route in Cork city over the next four months.
The buses will simulate real-driving conditions and will regularly stop but will not carry any passengers.
The aim of the programme, supported by the Green Public Transport Fund, is to assist the Government in making eco-friendly public-transport vehicle purchases in 2019.
Launching the programme, Shane Ross said that the initiative is in line with the Government’s National Development Plan which outlaws the purchasing of diesel buses for publicly owned urban bus companies, starting from July next year.
“2018 has been a watershed year for recognising the impacts of climate change,” he said.
“ We are determined that the choice of fuels or technologies that we make will be the right one for our urban bus fleets and will support the continued provision of effective public transport services as well as contributing to decarbonising the transport sector and improving our urban air quality.”
Minister Ross described the transformation in the transport sector as a crucial step in reaching the objectives of the National Development Plan.
The National Development Plan, designed to bolster Ireland’s role in tackling climate change, commits Ireland to a gradual transition to low-emission buses for publicly-owned bus fleet.
The Plan pledges to increase the number of electric cars to at least 500,000 by 2030 as part of its emission-curtailing measures.
The Government is also set to bolster the Public Spending Code to ensure that carbon impacts are fully reflected when funding any public project, as part of its new mitigation plan.
Under the new carbon-curtailing policy, four Climate Action Regional Officer has also been established to support local authorities in meeting their climate regulations.
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