Council goes to market as bus trial hits a bump

Noosa Council is looking for a new vehicle to power its electric bus trial.

Noosa Mayor Noel Playford said Council was in the process of cancelling the chosen manufacturer’s contract after it advised that it couldn’t deliver the buses by the agreed deadline.

“These delays are unfortunate and on a personal note I am disappointed the trial won’t begin during my time in Council, but I am confident we’ll see electric buses on Noosa’s roads next year, given Council’s strong support for the trial and keen interest from a number of manufacturers,” Cr Playford said.

Council’s Planning and Infrastructure Director Martin Drydale said technical issues with the bus air conditioning systems were to blame for the hold up.

Mr Drydale added: “Electric bus technology is rapidly evolving so holding off until next year will allow us to investigate new technology that wasn’t available when we first began our planning, plus we may also be able to source the buses from an Australian supplier now.”

A pre-feasibility study found electric buses to be a cheaper public transport option compared to diesel buses when deployed on short-haul routes.

“They can be recharged with renewable energy and given that they offer reduced emissions, they represent a cleaner, greener alternative to diesel,” Mr Drydale said.

Deploying electric buses stands to be a first for Queensland, offering Noosa a unique and marketable public transport offering.

“Council looks forward to trialling electric buses on Noosa’s network next year,” Mr Drydale said.

26 November 2015