Seymour welcomed its first of three electric buses earlier this month, striving towards a cleaner and more sustainable regional bus fleet.
Operated by Seymour Passenger Services, the three electric buses will be introduced to routes in and around Seymour by mid-2023, making the town the first in Victoria to have its public bus network fully serviced by zero emission buses.
Member for Northern Victoria Jaclyn Symes said taking the title of the first town with a fully electric bus fleet was a ‘huge win’ for Seymour.
The transition to zero emissions is supported by the installation of a new charging station by Victorian-based infrastructure company Mondo at the Seymour depot, where the new electric buses will be based.
Seymour Passenger Services is one of six operators across Victoria taking part in the three-year Trial, which will include 52 zero-emission buses – 50 electric and two hydrogen – rolled out across Melbourne, Traralgon and Seymour.
Minister for Public Transport Ben Carrol said the trial contributed ‘countless benefits’ to Victoria, including job opportunities and support to the economy.
“Victoria has a commitment of net zero emissions by 2045 and tackling emissions on the bus network is a critical part of that as we drive down pollution and remove noisy diesel buses from our public network for good,” he said.
The $20 million trial will inform the transition of about 4000 diesel buses in the state’s public fleet, including about 2,200 in regional Victoria, to zero emissions, with all new buses on Victoria’s public transport routes to be zero emissions from 2025.
