A new report from Greater Wellington Regional Council shows e-buses are having a positive impact on the city’s air quality.
The Metlink bus fleet emissions 2021/22 environmental impacts annual report shows that greenhouse gases and air pollution from the public bus network have trended down since September 2021.
It comes as the proportion of kilometres travelled by electric buses increased relative to diesel services.
An increase in the proportion of electric buses travelling on Manners Street, for example, was associated with reductions in pollutants. Diesel particulate air pollution reduced by 28% and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) by 18%.
Senior environmental scientist Tamsin Mitchell says they are “very welcome” results.
“The health benefits of Greater Wellington’s investment in EV buses are clear from a corresponding decrease in harmful emissions, including particulate matter.”
Nitrogen dioxide causes respiratory and cardiovascular system damage – making people more prone to infections and diseases such as asthma.
Metlink general manager Samantha Gain says a reduction in air pollution is also a regional climate change mitigation priority.
“Metlink’s bus fleet currently makes up around 35% of Greater Wellington’s corporate carbon footprint, so electrification of the bus fleet will contribute to meeting Greater Wellington’s target of becoming carbon neutral by 2030.
“Our target is for all core service bus routes to be electric-only by 2030 and we’re working towards complete decarbonisation of the bus fleet by 2035. We currently have 90 EV buses – or 20% of our fleet – and plan to have 108 by 2023, which will further boost proportion of the EV buses in the fleet to 22%, which is high by international standards.
“But bigger gains in reducing carbon across the region will, however, be made by encouraging mode shift away from cars to active and public transport,” Gain says.
“This involves regional initiatives such as Let’s Get Wellington Moving, intensification of urban development and the Wellington Rail Programme Business Case, a 30-year customer-driven strategic investment plan.
“The business case outlines what’s needed beyond current investment to help drive the region’s economic development and social wellbeing in an environmentally and socially sustainable and resilient manner.
“It covers the passenger services and infrastructure needed to deliver a modern transit system, and the network infrastructure required to support this system while also enabling a growing freight operation.
“The outcome of these initiatives will be two-fold – improving air quality and progress towards a sustainable, low carbon regional economy,” Gain says.
