LIMERICK will be the first Irish city to get electric buses with 20 scheduled for delivery next year as part of a five year nationwide rollout.
This follows the National Transport Authority (NTA) signing a contract with Ballymena-based Wrightbus for the delivery of 800 fully electric buses across the country from 2023 to 2028.
The new buses incorporate a fully battery-electric powertrain and will operate with zero tailpipe-emissions, which will contribute to a substantial improvement in air quality in the cities and towns in which they are deployed.
Green Party TD for Limerick City Brian Leddin said it was significant that the first 20 electric buses of the rollout of the fleet will be going to the Treaty City.
“This will result in cleaner air and quieter streets and lower greenhouse gas emissions, helping our city towards a 51 per cent cut in transport related emissions by 2030.”
The buses – Streetdeck Electroliner BEVs – will be manufactured and assembled at the Wrightbus facility in Galgorm, near Ballymena in Northern Ireland. They will be the first battery-electric double-deck buses to be added to the national bus fleet in Ireland and their addition will deliver a significant uplift in the proportion of low- or zero-emission buses within that fleet.
“This investment is part of the Green Party’s and Government’s commitment to decarbonise public transport and it’s delivering on the measure of the Climate Action Plan 2021 to transition the public bus fleet to zero emissions,” Deputy Leddin explained
“This will be achieved through the renewal and expansion of the fleet, allowing for the full electrification of double-decker buses in Limerick, Dublin, Cork, Waterford and Galway by 2035.
“The announcement today is a big step towards achieving that goal,” he added.
