Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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48. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the steps he is taking to reduce the emissions profile of the public transport fleet; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34526/20]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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Providing an efficient and low emission public transport system is a key priority of my Ministry. As public transport is responsible for less than 5% of our transport emissions, in absolute terms, converting public transport fleets to low carbon alternatives will have a very limited impact on national emission reductions; however, it does fulfil a strong leadership role as we shift towards a low-carbon economy. To this end, I am committed to continuing to green the public transport fleet and to making each public transport journey less carbon intensive. A comprehensive programme of work is already underway and there is a clear vision to move towards zero emitting vehicles where and when possible.

The national bus fleet, that carries the majority of public transport passengers, is already moving to lower emitting alternatives. This year 100 hybrid buses were ordered for the urban PSO bus fleets while over 200 hybrid buses will be ordered next year, while in 2021 the NTA also expects to introduce a fully electric town service fleet. This week I was glad to launch Phase 2 of the Low Emission Bus Trial, which over the coming months, will assess the performance and operation of both hydrogen and electric buses and will help inform the overall conversion of our fleet to lower emitting alternatives by 2030. Understanding the various fueling technologies available is key to making well informed future bus procurement decisions. Beyond urban services, my Department is also funding a number of electric vehicle pilot projects in rural areas under the Local Link programme.

In terms of heavy rail, in 2021, we’re looking to expand electrification through the DART+ programme which will ultimately mean around 70% of journeys in any given year on the rail network will be on electrified services, while in the interim we’re continuing to expand rail capacity through the ongoing construction of the National Train Control Centre and 41 additional carriages for the Greater Dublin Area commuter rail fleet. I also intend to commission a review of the rail network which will consider the potential for high/higher - speed rail, including, of course, the potential electrification of the inter-urban network.

As regards our light rail network,we are currently expanding the capacity of the Luas Green Line with the ongoing arrival of 26 tram extensions and 8 new additional trams which I expect will have entered service by Q2 2021. We will also look at route options for Luas Cork, Luas Lucan and the preliminary design for Luas Finglas. Next year I also intend to seek Government’s approval in relation to MetroLink, a new largely underground electrified metro service in Dublin, and likely the largest public investment project in the history of the State.

Furthermore, in the recent Budget I was delighted to announce an EV scrappage scheme to enhance the supports available for taxi and hackney drivers switching to electric vehicles. I hope to see a steady greening of our SPSV fleet over the coming years.

Collectively, these measures will see us progressively modernise and lower the emission profile of our public transport fleets as well as creating an attractive alternative to the private car. As the Deputy is aware, I am fully committed to increasing modal shift towards public transport and active travel as a means of decreasing transport emissions. We’ve seen some really good additions to active travel infrastructure and our public realm in recent months as Local Authorities across the country have put in place emergency measures to support local communities and businesses through our current difficulties. And we want to build on these types of initiatives and support them through our commitment of €1.8bn over the lifetime of Government for active travel. This level of investment along with our significant investment in greening public transport will help improve quality of life and reduce emissions and air pollutants from the transport sector.