Fully electric bus depot a success

Published 2:00pm 18 December 2023

As the State Government works towards its plan of rolling out zero-emission vehicles by 2026, one of its electric bus depots at North Lakes hit a milestone last week.

In partnership with Keolis Downer, the Government and Hornibrook Bus Lines were able to convert an entire diesel depot to electric, with 16 new buses being delivered by Keolis Downer.

Hornibrook Bus Lines at North Lakes was Queensland’s first 100 percent electric bus depot, which initially opened in 2021.

Acting Head of TransLink Peter Milward says the partnership with Keolis Downer has been an integral part of reaching the ultimate goal of rolling out a zero-emission vehicle strategy on Queensland roads by 2026.

“This collaboration has been very important. The Queensland Government is committed to a cleaner and greener fleet; creating better connections, plans and a 10-year transport plan,” Peter says.

“It’s important for us to start committing to more sustainable transport, and the collaboration here is a great example of us transitioning to a cleaner and greener fleet.”

On July 1, 2023, Keolis Downer had a total of 16 electric buses in service, and since then, they have been a hit with locals, according to Keolis Downer State Manager Rolf Mitchell.

“The passenger feedback is interesting. From the first day of having the bus out there, it was literally the talk of the town,” Rolf says.

“We had people coming out of the shopping centre to come down to look at the new electric bus. It was quite exciting for the first couple of weeks; it was a new phenomenon.

“From a passenger point of view, there has been a lot of interest and a lot of good feedback.”

There are many key benefits of converting diesel vehicles to electric.

“The benefits are obviously a much better environmental outcome for travelling and, in particular, I think our customers really enjoy the experience of travelling on an electric bus,” Peter says.

“It’s much quieter, there’s no pollution, it’s a great experience and it’s a really fantastic transition to a much more sustainable form of transport.”