Media Release: Don’t Scrap our Trolley Buses, say Greens.

The Green party is launching a campaign to keep Wellington’s trolley buses, and convert them into a more efficient, reliable and flexible bus service, using the latest electric technology, including batteries that can be recharged from overhead wires.

The Wellington Regional Council Public Transport plan, which is being released today, includes a proposal to scrap Wellington’s fleet of 60 trolley buses, even though no decision has been made as to what to replace them with.

“We want the Council to halt its plans to scrap our trolley buses, and conduct a trial to see how trolley buses perform with rechargeable batteries and high efficiency motors installed into them,” Paul Bruce, Wellington Regional Councillor said today.

“Our trolley buses are quiet, and have no emissions,’ Sue Kedgley, Wellington Regional Councillor said today. “It doesn’t make sense to scrap these iconic, zero-emitting, climate-friendly trolley buses and replace them with noisy, polluting diesel buses, when international research is highlighting the health risks of diesel fumes, and some cities are moving to prohibit diesel buses entirely from inner cities.”

“Trolley buses run on renewable energy, and insulate us against potential future oil shocks,” Green MP and Energy spokesperson Gareth Hughes said today. “It would be extremely short sighted to get rid of our electric trolley buses and replace then with oil-based diesel buses, at the very time that the world is running out of easy-to-get oil.”

“Electric battery technology is evolving rapidly, and modern batteries and charging systems could transform our trolley bus fleet, and enable it to travel substantial distances without overhead wires,” Paul Bruce said.

“With modern motors and rechargeable batteries in them, we believe trolley buses would be as reliable and flexible as diesel buses, but without their noise or pollution,” Ms Kedgley said.

“It would be foolish to scrap the trolley bus fleet when New Zealand Bus has recently spent $40 million dollars upgrading them, and they have a further 10 -15 years of life in them,’ Gareth Hughes said. “And why scrap the overhead wires when they’ve been recently upgraded, and are used to support our internet network in Wellington.

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Don’t Scrap the Trolleys!

The Green Party is launching a campaign to retain and upgrade Wellington’s trolley buses, and convert them into a more efficient, reliable and flexible bus service, using the latest electric vehicle battery technology.

This new technology could greatly improve the performance of trolley buses, and ensure that they are as flexible and reliable as diesel buses, but without the emissions or noise of diesel buses.

It is therefore calling on the Wellington Regional Council to delay its plans, outlined in its Public Transport plan, to scrap the trolley buses, and conduct a trial to see how trolley buses perform with rechargeable batteries and high efficiency motors installed into them. If the trial is successful, it would like to see the entire fleet of trolley buses upgraded in this way.

Background

Wellington is fortunate to have a fleet of quiet, zero emitting, climate friendly trolley buses, which run on renewable energy sources instead of diesel, and therefore insulate us against any potential future oil shocks.

New Zealand Bus has recently invested $40 million dollars in upgrading our trolley bus fleet, and as a result, our trolley buses have a further 10 -15 years of life in them. As well, the trolley bus overhead wires have also been upgraded, and are used to support our internet network in Wellington.

At the same time, electric battery technology is evolving rapidly, and modern batteries and charging systems are now available that could transform our trolley bus fleet and make it more flexible and efficient, able to travel substantial distances without relying on overhead wires. These modern batteries could be recharged through our existing overhead wires, or through wireless charging technologies, to make them even more efficient.

Given this new technology, we believe it would be a major mistake to scrap our trolley bus fleet and close off future, sustainable options in a rapidly developing field. It would be particularly short sighted to get rid of our only non-polluting form of transport before we have decided what would replace them. And it would foolhardy to replace zero emission trolley buses that run on renewable energy, with oil-based diesel buses.

Instead we should trial the new technology, and assess their effectiveness. If the trial is successful, we should convert the rest of the trolley bus fleet.

We therefore propose that an existing trolley bus is modernized with a high efficiency motor and batteries that can be recharged from overhead wires, or by being plugged in at a depot. Another charging system, using induction at stops, could be used to trial the ability for trolley buses to run off-wire for sections of a route. Yet another option would be to trial a trolley bus with a diesel generator backup, and a hybrid bus, and compare all these different buses for their performance and efficiency.

We need to recognize, too, that our overhead wires are part of our strategic infrastructure, and enable electric powered public transport. Any future electric powered transport could use our overhead wire network. At a time when fossil fuels are becoming scarcer and rising in cost, it makes sense to have the option of using renewable energy to power public transport. Taking down the overhead wires, as is proposed in the Regional Council Public Transport plan, would close off this option forever, and would be the equivalent of pulling up the railway lines.

We further note that:
• New Zealand electricity is around 75% renewable, with large untapped resources of wind and solar energy if demand grows.
• Electric vehicle technology is evolving very rapidly, with lower costs and higher performance.
• There are about 400 public transport systems operating trolleybuses worldwide, with over 600 new trolleybuses scheduled for delivery this year.
• International research is increasingly highlighting the health risks of operating diesel vehicles in busy pedestrian streets—some cities have already banned diesels in inner city areas.
• New electric buses cost around one million dollars each to purchase, and we believe it may be more economical to upgrade our existing trolley bus fleet than scrap it and purchase new electric buses.
• Hybrid buses could also use trolley poles in town. And a future light rail system could also tap into a well-established system.

Please support our proposals by making a submission to Council and by attending our public meeting 16th April 5.30pm at the Sustainability Trust, 2 Forresters Lane (off Tory Street close to Courtenay Pace). .

Submission Guide

Make a submission to http://www.gw.govt.nz/draft-regional-public-transport-plan-2014/ requesting:

That the Greater Wellington Regional Council defer making any decision about the future of Wellington’s trolley buses until it has conducted a trial to upgrade several existing trolley buses with modern high efficiency motors and batteries that can be charged either from overhead wires or by being plugged in at a depot.

That Wellington keeps its overhead wire network, to ensure that Wellington remains resilient, and retains the option of electric powered public transport.

That no decision is made about replacing Wellington’s fleet of trolley buses until a zero-emitting alternative option has been selected. Say you do not want our non-polluting trolley bus fleet replaced with oil-based, polluting trolley buses.

Public Meeting: 16th April 5.30pm at the Sustainability Trust, 2 Forresters Lane

Stakeholder Meetings
(Please RSVP nichola.powell.gw.govt.nz the meetings you plan to attend)
7 April 7pm - Northern suburbs - Johnsonville Community Centre 3 Frankmoore Avenue, Johnsonville
8 April 7pm - PT Advocates, Committee Room, GWRC, 2 Fryatt Quay, Harbour Quays
9 April 7pm – Southern suburbs - Parks Bowling Club Hall, 598 Evans Bay Parade, Kilbirnie
10 April 10.30am – Khandallah/Nagio/Crofton - Meeting Room 14, GWRC, 2 Fryatt Quay, Harbour Quays
10 April 7pm – Central suburbs - St Thomas More Church, 30a Worcester Street, Wilton
28 April 7pm - Central suburbs - Committee Room, GWRC, 2 Fryatt Quay, Harbour Quays
30 April 7pm – Eastern Suburbs – Strathmore Community Centre, 108 Strathmore Avenue, Strathmore Park

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