Galway could soon see electric buses operating on the city’s bus routes if the National Transport Authority successfully secures the supply of electric vehicles for public transport.

The National Transport Authority is seeking a supplier of up to 200 electric buses to be operated as public transport services. The NTA envisages that such environmentally-friendly vehicles could be used by existing public transport operators including Bus Éireann and City Direct.

Electric buses are already widely used in China and are growing in popularity in European cities as well as closer to home in the UK. Some services are powered through overhead cables but many more are battery operated.

The NTA is already working on the introduction of double-decker hybrid (diesel/electric) vehicles primarily in Dublin. This new proposed supply agreement, however, focuses on single-deck, long length buses and also references Galway’s two main public transport bus operators – Bus Éireann and City Direct.

The NTA is seeking responses from perspective suppliers by the end of June for an agreement that would last an initial two and a half years with an option to extend for a further two and a half years.

Such a time span coincides with work to expand and enhance Galway’s public transport services, including BusConnects, with the aim of facilitating sustainable growth but also in making Galway a better and cleaner place in which to live, work or visit.