No place to plug in

Because Ireland's National Transport Authority (NTA) is running behind with the installation of charging infrastructure at two Duplin bus depots, dozens of electric buses remain off the road.

In June 2022, the NTA of Ireland entered into a framework agreement with Wrightbus for the supply of up to 800 battery-electric double-decker buses over a five-year period. The public transport provider also placed a firm order for 120 units – 100 electric buses for Dublin and 20 for the city of Limerick. The first units were delivered in July of this year.

However, the buses are still not in service because there is no place to charge them. Apparently, the NTA encountered problems with obtaining planning permission for the charging infrastructure.

“From a common-sense approach, if it is a climate emergency, one would have assumed that when they ordered the electric vehicles they would have exempted the bus garages from planning permission to get these vehicles on the road as quick as possible,” Tom O’Connor, Assistant General Secretary for the National Bus and Rail Union (NBRU), told local media.

But there is light at the end of the tunnel. The charging infrastructure at one of the two depots should be up and running this month and at the other in December.

rte.ie