PUBLIC TRANSPORT —
BUS FLEET — DIESEL VEHICLES
1361. Hon TIM CLIFFORD to the minister representing the
Minister for Transport:
(1) Can the
minister advise how the McGowan government plans to transition the Transperth
bus fleet to fully electric or does the McGowan government policy still stand,
as per question without notice 127, that the government has no plans to
transition the fleet away from diesel?
(2) Can the
minister advise how the recent 10-year contract with Volvo to supply 900 diesel
buses for the Transperth fleet is in line with the McGowan government's
aspiration of net zero emissions by 2050?
Hon
STEPHEN DAWSON replied:
I thank the honourable member for
some notice of the question. The following answer has been provided to me by
the Minister for Transport.
(1) On 2 July
2020, the McGowan government announced that a trial of electric buses would be
undertaken on the Joondalup CAT route. Work is currently underway to upgrade
the Joondalup depot to facilitate this trial, which is expected to commence
from early 2022. Following this trial, further decisions can be made as to the
deployment of further electric buses.
(2) As per the 2
July 2020 media statement, the contract allows for the provision of alternative
technology.