Bus fleet gets set to go electric with 22 EV points at Pennyburn

The transport firm has applied to Derry and Strabane Council for permission to provide 22 Electrical Vehicle (EV) Charging Units and infrastructure at its depot in the Pennyburn Industrial Estate.

It follows the announcement by Infrastructure Minister Nichola Mallon last year of a £30m investment in 38 new zero-emission battery electric buses for Foyle Metro.

It is anticipated the zero-emission buses will go into service in Derry next year.

A planning statement compiled by the engineering services company Tetra Tech in support of the application explains the rationale.

“The requirement for the proposed development is as a result of the development of Translink’s seven-year-bus procurement programme which was approved by the Translink Executive Team and Board in June 2020.

“The programme focuses on providing the capability for a modal shift to sustainable transport, as per the draft Programme for Government,” the consultancy firm state.

The planning statement explains that under the programme for fleet replacement over the 2020/21 to 2026/27 period it was decided to convert the entire fleet to zero-emission vehicles including EVs,

“This required the delivery of infrastructure to charge the vehicles. The transition to zero-emission vehicles will address climate change and assist in the development of the Clean Air Strategy by Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs for NI. It is aimed to transition the Translink bus fleet to zero-emission vehicles by 2040,” the document states.

Last November, announcing the investment in electric, Ms. Mallon said: “These are the changes we need to see to help us tackle climate change and contribute to better health outcomes for all our population. I will continue to make positive steps to choose cleaner, greener travel.”