The Victorian Government has expanded its Zero Emissions Bus Trial to upgrade the depot, and add nine new electric buses to its fleet, supporting the State’s aim to have zero emission public transport by 2025.
Victorian Minister for Public Transport, Ben Carroll, and Minister for Climate Action, Lily D’Ambrosio, visited the Transit Systems depot in West Footscray – now running nine new electric buses to service popular routes across Melbourne’s west, including Williamstown, Moonee Ponds, Footscray and Sunshine.
The depot has been upgraded to be the base for the fleet of the nine electric buses, which forms part of the State Government’s $20 million Zero Emissions Bus Trial.
Transit Systems is one of six operators across Victoria taking part in the trial, which will see 52 zero emission buses – 50 electric and two Victorian-first hydrogen buses – rolled out across Melbourne, Traralgon and Seymour.
From 2025, all new buses on Victoria’s public transport routes will be zero emissions – and this trial will inform the transition of around 4,000 diesel buses in the state’s public fleet, including around 2,200 in regional Victoria.
Data collected from the trial will provide practical information like how zero emission buses perform, and energy and charging requirements for different types of routes. It will also give insight into how the buses can improve financial and environmental sustainability.
The trial is also fostering vital local industry partnerships – such as with energy providers and manufacturers – that will be needed to achieve the transition across the state.
Ms D’Ambrosio, said, “The Zero Emissions Bus Trial is one of the key parts of Victoria’s ambitious climate action agenda and will help us meet our world leading emissions reduction targets of 75-80 per cent by 2035 and net zero by 2045.”
The Victorian Budget 2023/24 includes funding to support the roll out of zero emission buses as part of new ten 10-year metropolitan bus contracts, putting more clean transport on the network by 2035.
This rollout joins other zero emission buses already operating around the state’s network – including in Melbourne’s west, with Kinetic delivering electric buses on various routes operating out of Sunshine.
