NTA to purchase 600 hybrid buses over five years

The National Transport Authority has begun the procurement process for up to 600 double-decker hybrid buses as part of the BusConnects project.

The NTA said the process was “part of the transition” to low emission buses, including electric buses, for the urban public bus fleet as set out in Project Ireland 2040 and the Climate Action Plan.

It is envisaged that up to 600 buses will be purchased over a period of about five years, with the first delivery possible before the end of next year.

BusConnects aims to overhaul the current bus system in the Dublin region by creating 230km of dedicated bus lanes and 200km of cycle tracks along with a redesign of the network.

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The EU’s revised directive on the promotion of clean and energy-efficient road transport vehicles is not expected to come into force until sometime in 2021. The NTA said its aim was to ensure compliance with the directive “for all new city buses delivered from next year onwards”.

“The new hybrid buses are expected to be at least 30 per cent more energy efficient than current diesel-only buses, and as a result will reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions,” an NTA spokesman said.

“The NTA also intend that the new buses will be capable of zero-tailpipe-emissions operation. This capability, combined with the overall reduction in energy consumption, will contribute to an improvement in air quality in the Irish cities that will be served by these buses.”