Ireland supports low emission bus deployment with new trial in Dublin
The Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Shane Ross TD, together with the National Transport Authority, Dublin Bus and Bus Éireann, launched the Low Emission Bus Trial, which will test a range of technologies and fuels under real-driving conditions on selected routes in both Dublin and Cork. Supported by the Green Public Transport Fund, buses powered by alternative fuels, including hydrogen and CNG/biogas, will be tested alongside retrofitted diesel buses. The vehicles will be assessed under a number of headings including CO2 and air quality pollutant emissions, energy efficiency, costs, and infrastructural requirements. The trials will run until March 2019 and will help to further inform future purchasing decisions for the urban public bus fleet. The buses will be trialed on Route 9 on weekday afternoons and evenings over the next four months. They will simulate real-driving conditions and so will stop at or near bus stops, doors will open and close but they will not carry any passenger. The trial will not affect existing schedules or service capacity; normal bus services will continue on these routes. The buses in the trial will be identifiable by their front scroll reading ‘Low Emission Bus Trial – Not in Service’ as well as signs affixed to the windows. As a company, Dublin Bus has a responsibility to minimize, as far as is practicable, its energy consumption and impact on the environment. It has always committed to continuously improving its energy and environmental performance through investment in technology. It is expected that the outcome of the trial informs future decision making processes in Dublin Bus with the move to a more sustainable, lower emission bus fleet.