Bus Study Questions GWRC City Transport Plans

Decision to scrap trolleybuses based on incorrect and insufficient information;

Some proposed city bus route and service changes will be counterproductive

GWRC’s decision to convert bus fleets to diesel-electric hybrid vehicles as part of a staged programme to introducing fully electric vehicles, is likely to cause the Wellington City bus services to cost millions of dollars more than it needs to, a new study has concluded.

Michael Flinn, a former Wellington City Transport Deputy General Manager has completed a review of GWRC’s decisions on Wellington City bus replacement because he considered the decisions have been based on information now found to be incorrect or insufficient.

He also reviewed many of the proposed route and service changes to be introduced next year and recommends significant changes to some of these. He considers that many proposed changes lack awareness of some practical factors that will affect patronage levels and fare revenue income.

The result is a 52-page report released today.

It concludes that GWRC’s decision to cease trolleybus operation in 2017 was made on inaccurate and incomplete information and should be reversed. Trolleybus operation should, it states, be continued to provide an affordable low pollution service until acceptable battery electric buses are available - possibly around 2020.

In the meantime, purchasing new diesel-electric hybrid vehicles should be deferred and older diesel buses replaced with modern lower polluting versions.

The report challenges two of the principal reasons originally advanced by the GWRC for scrapping the trolleybuses – that the trolleybuses had a 10 year operating contract and thus effectively reached the end of their working life, and that the overhead power network needed investment of more than $50 million to continue to operate effectively.

“The decision about the life expectancy of the trolleybuses appears to have been based on the fact that 10 years was used as the basis for a contract with the operator,” says Michael Flinn. “Trolley buses typically have a working life of 20 years or more.“

The use of some replacement parts in the Wellington trolleybus fleet is a justification for estimating a shorter life of around 16 years. GWRC has now accepted that the operating life of the trolleybus vehicles could take them through to around 2024.

“In this respect, it was misleading to suggest that the current trolleybus fleet was “life expired,” he said.

Mr Flinn says an independent senior electrical engineer with extensive experience of direct current traction systems has identified that the power supply and overhead lines systems could be upgraded and continued for the remaining life of the trolleybuses at an annual cost a little above the recent annual costs of the overhead system alone.

GWRC reported that $50 million would be needed to replace the whole traction power supply system as the present system could only be used for the “medium term”.GWRC have not followed up on an independent report to investigate whether the supply could practically be extended to match the life of the trolleybuses and allow deferral of expenditure of at least $30M on the new buses and $10M on overhead lines removal.

“If you are making multi-million dollar decisions about bus replacements, a proper review should have been sought.”

Mr Flinn says that battery-electric bus technology is still developing and that it is too early yet to invest in them. Retaining the trolleybuses should be a cheaper and more environmentally-friendly low pollution alternative to the diesel-electric hybrid vehicles being purchased as an interim measure.

The report is also critical of initiatives such as the proposed early introduction of double-decker buses on some key routes.

Mr Flinn has also examined many of the proposed route and service changes. Several proposed changes to services require passengers to change buses and wait for a connecting service. The review suggestions are aimed at reducing the need for passengers to change buses with time saving benefits for them.

He concludes that, if the route and service changes are introduced as planned, passenger approval ratings are likely to fall significantly, fare revenue may fall and costs will increase, with the result that ratepayers may have to provide more funding. He recommends changes to address these issues.

Report

ENDS

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