2015-04-07 Item 2 - Attachment 1 - Pre feasibility Study of Electric Bus Routes

electric bus may need to satisfy any performance levels outlined in a services contract as per
Chapter 6 of the Transport Operations (Passenger Transport) Act 1994. As noted above, we
were not able to locate any additional requirements that an electric vehicle must meet under
Passenger Transport legislation to provide a public passenger service at this time. The only
further consideration arising from our consultation being that bus operators must ensure that
their drivers are provided with appropriate training to operate an electric vehicle (if the
function of the vehicle is different to existing vehicles).The intent of the training would be to
ensure drivers could operate the vehicle in a safe manner.

5.4      Review of Sunbus contract
We undertook a review of some of the existing arrangements with Sunbus who operate
public transport buses in the Noosa area under a contract arrangement with the Department
of Transport and Main Roads (TMR). This was not a full legal review of these arrangements
but the following operational points are worth considering for the purposes of the feasibility of
an electric bus trial at Noosa:
 The current arrangements establish Sunbus as the incumbent provider of urban bus
 services in Noosa and BusLink as the provider of school bus services. Therefore, the
 council should consider the involvement of Sunbus in the trial as early as possible
 Sunbus maintain existing infrastructure that the electric bus will require in its operations
 such as depots and maintenance facilities

  Sunbus employ drivers familiar with the routes and who hold all the necessary approvals
 and accreditations to operate buses in the Noosa area
 Under current arrangements Sunbus must maintain any vehicle in its fleet in accordance
 with certain mandated DoT standards, these standards
 It should be noted from late December 2014, all Sunbus buses must with fitted out with
 new CUBIC DCU3 models to support the Passenger Plus Project (real-time passenger
 information). As such any electric buses being trialled will also need to be fitted out with
 CUBIC ticketing and GPS equipment
 Under current arrangements, Sunbus must maintain each vehicle used to provide their
 services in a safe and roadworthy condition and in accordance with all applicable laws
 Sunbus must seek approval from TMR under current arrangement to replace or acquire a
 new vehicle to provide public transport services
 Sunbus must meet certain performance standards such as serviced delivered and on-time
 running or they are penalised
 The Sunbus contract is due to expire in September 2015
 The Queensland Government is committed to the recommendations of The Costello Report
 which recommends contestability of bus services. No further detail has been provided by
 government at this time




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