Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
IRELAND IS PLANNING to introduce sustainable-energy buses to public transport fleets by next year, in an effort to reduce our carbon emissions to avoid EU fines.
The National Transport Authority (NTA) will tomorrow announce plans to roll out sustainable energy buses to state subsidised fleets such as Dublin Bus, Bus Éireann and school buses.
This will be part of a range of announcements including a complete redesign of the network; a cashless payment system; new bus branding and bus stops, according to Minister for Transport Shane Ross.
It’s yet unknown whether the buses will be electric, hybrid, or bio-gas buses, but all solutions are being considered by the NTA.
It’s understood that a ‘quota’ system won’t need to be implemented, and there are no plans to bring in sustainable energy buses to private operators yet.
A spokesperson for Bus Éireann said they are ‘working closely’ with the Department of Transport and the NTA on all future sustainable energy fleet plans.
The NTA reportedly refused a previous application by Dublin Bus to trial hybrid buses in 2016 due to a lack of funding.
But with gigantic fees looming over Ireland if they fail to meet the EU’s sustainable energy targets, the government hasn’t much time to lose.
The Norwegian model
Norway’s capital city, the first with a zero-emissions transport system, is the sustainable-energy model most countries aspire to.
Oslo’s metro, trams and buses run largely on hydro-electricity, and Norway has the highest percentage of electric cars of any nation.
Despite being ahead of the game in relation to climate change measures, further plans are underway to restrict cars to its city centre.
One in four new cars sold in Norway are electric and is likely to achieve its zero-emissions target by 2025.
Ireland, meanwhile, could be given a bill of up to €75 million each year if it doesn’t meet its EU renewable-energy targets by 2020.
Who’s in charge?
Even though the NTA is working on introducing sustainable energy transport fleets by 2018, and falls under the remit of the Department of Transport, the Minister for Climate Change has come under criticism for a lack of responsibility and involvement in this plan.
Denis Naughten is heading up the Department for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, but the Minister says he has ‘no official responsibility to Dáil Éireann’ for introducing sustainable energy buses to local authority transport fleets.
Sinn Féin’s Peadar Toibin says that Ireland is unique in the EU in failing to reduce their carbon stamp, and that Naughton has “failed to make any real effort to decarbonising the economy”.
“It’s logical that at this stage, the government would be developing targets with regards introducing electric, hybrid and bio-gas vehicles in this sector.
“We are not talking about a complete change all at once, but simply that by 2018 the government should direct local authorities to identify which modes of local transport can be de-carbonised and then set out that a percentage of new vehicles in these sectors that should be powered by renewable energy.”
The responsibility for introducing green-carbon buses lies with the Department of Transport – but they didn’t leave Naughten out in their statement to TheJournal.ie.
“Matters relating to air quality and greenhouse gas emissions are primarily the responsibility of Minister Denis Naughten and the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment.
“However, the responsibility for emissions reduction is a national one and the transport sector has an important role to play in identifying measures that can significantly reduce emissions at least cost to the State.”
The department said that a full plan on how to meet emissions targets will be published by the summer.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
All the 8th amendment does is harm women’s health. Replace it with legislation that treats pregnant women and girls as autonomous humans, not Tupperware containers. The rally for lies this Saturday will be interesting.
@DaisyChainsaw: I find these, while no doubt well meaning, a tad disturbing in that the more options and recommendations that are made, the more they’ll cherry pick from and ignore but still be able to quite legitimately say they followed the advice of the Citizens’ Assembly.
That all makes sense. Hopefull the Oireachtas implements the recommendations of the report.
@Daithí Ó Coinnigh: Kenny announced when the Assembly delivered not what was wanted (by the politicians in government) that there was another committee to be set up and ‘consider’ the Assmbly’s output – i.e. Water it down or even better – drag it into a dark alley, ignore it and bull ahead regardless.
Let women determine their own treatment options – NOT politicians!!!
If you’re going to explain the word consensus, don’t do so incorrectly. Consensus is where you arrive at something acceptable to all or the vast majority. Thus, these recommendations are acceptable to the vast majority of the assembly.
Are we going to need new jumpers with REPLACE on them instead?
@Fiachrá Ó Dubhthaigh: repealing and then creating legislation for this is the best way.
Ireland’s obsession with referendums for everything really needs to stop, the only way this can stop is us stopping adding everything to the constitution even when it doesn’t need to be in it.
Repeal! It’s their choice. We are all human and I have no right to tell another human how to live.
@Nicholas J Campbell: we are all human and we ALL have a RIGHT to live.
Just bring it in, make it available for anyone who plans on having one & get it over with.
Nicholas we are all human and we all have a RIGHT to live
There still wasting taxpayer money !
Women are tax payers too and their health deserve to be properly looked after
Nicholasjcampbell we are all human and we ALL have a right to live
The first thing I have to say is “When did 25% become a consensus”. The second thing is ” I believe that the Citizens Assembly is one of the most sexist groups I’ve ever come across. Have men and boys not got an equal right to control over their reproduction . Or any ! This assembly is so biased that it didn’t even mention condoms for boys and men.
This article is either poorly written, or the Citizen’s Assembly was all over the shop.
“These recommendations were arrived at via a consensus (ie a majority were in agreement) of the members’ responses.”
and then
“Between 15 and 20 members calling for a recommendation (roughly 25%) was taken to be consensus.”
If the latter is what they viewed as a consensus, then the must have only a cursory relationship with a dictionary.
“usually in singular: A general agreement.”
have your say