Derry task force to maximise benefits of new electric buses to be set up

Derry City and Strabane District Council will 'endevour' to create a taskforce to increase public transport use in the city.

The Council agreed to create the taskforce involving Dfl, Translink, transport trade unions, groups promoting public transport use and community groups at a council meeting on 28 June.

Councillor Shaun Harkin proposed the motion. It came a month after Translink revealed its Derry service would become a fully zero-emission urban bus service later this year.

Introducing the proposal, the People Before Profit councillor said the city needs to make the most of the new electric fleet.

“I think it's a fantastic thing that the entire Foyle Metro fleet is going electric. There's not many cities in Ireland or across Europe that have electric buses on that scale. I think it tells us having electric public buses right across the island is possible,” he said.

“I think it very much fits with our ambitions in terms of tackling the climate crisis, to reduce road congestion. And obviously, we're still in the middle of a cost living crisis so cheap public travel can benefit us in so many ways.

“So this is an opportunity for us to seize this opportunity and really encourage more public transport use. I don't think that that's going to happen automatically.”

Cllr Harkin said Council should lead a taskforce that listens to the feedback of locals, bus users and bus drivers.

“There are all sorts of gaps when it comes to public transportation across the district. I've spoken to bus drivers and they've basically mapped out where there should be more buses, where there are no buses, where there are no bus shelters.

“I think that this would allow us to cut down on social isolation. It would help with air quality, which we know is a big, big issue here in the district.

“I think that there's a lot of possible positives out of this but I think it really means we have to seize the opportunity and do it as quickly as we can working with everybody else who would be involved.”

Cllr Christopher Jackson said he supports the motion but believes it will be difficult to get people to change their transportation habits in the absence of an Executive.

“There's a lot more that can be done to incentivise people to use public transport so if a task force is something that can help advance that then it's something that we fully support,” the Sinn Féin councillor said.

“We recognize – it's become a common theme on quite a lot of issues – to fully realise the ambitions, particularly in relation to public transport and addressing the challenges that Translink are facing, we do need an Executive. We need a Minister. We need the support of government departments.

“But in the absence of that, Council should explore everything that we can do.”