Hydrogen powered buses are set to cruise Melbourne’s western roads as a part of the $20 million Zero Emissions Bus Trial.
In conjunction with Transit Systems, the government is planning to introduce two hydrogen fuel cell and nine electric buses to Melbourne’s western suburbs, operating out of Footscray depot from March 2023.
“Transit Systems is proud to have been selected to take part in the Zero Emissions Bus Trial and is confident that these trials will effectively demonstrate the performance of zero emissions technology and accelerate the deployment of zero emission buses,” Transit Systems Chief Operating Officer, Greg Balkin said.
“The outcomes will transform the Melbourne public bus transport network into a smoother, quieter, and cleaner network for our customers and the wider community.”
The trial aims to provide insight into how zero emissions buses will perform in practical setting, including what energy and charging requirements will look like for a sustainable fleet traveling various routes.
“We know how critical it is to invest in greener technology now – these Victorian-first hydrogen fuel cell buses will help us drive down pollution and remove noisy diesel buses from the public network for good,” Minister for Public Transport, Ben Carroll said.
“We will continue working closely with our public transport operators, like Transit Systems and Kinetic, to deliver these zero-emissions buses which will also provide passengers with quieter and more comfortable journeys.”
Current initiatives suggest that all new public buses will be zero emission models from 2025 going forwards, hopefully helping achieve the Labor Government’s goal of net zero emissions by 2050.
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