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

Two (2) electric buses and one (1) diesel bus will be required to maintain the
current 30 minute headway and 60 minute circuit time. A standby diesel bus is
recommended to attend to any breakdowns in order to ensure service reliability.
The existing diesel buses in the Sunbus fleet should be used as stand-by
spares should there be any breakdowns, accidents and other service continuity
issues
Overnight storage and slow charging of the electric bus is recommended to be at
the existing Sunbus depot at Marcoola. Layover and fast charge of the electric
bus recommended to be at Pelican Street (in front of Council office and would
involve the loss of approximately three (3) car parking spaces. Repairs and
maintenance proposed to be conducted at existing Sunbus depot at Marcoola
Route 627 should be exempt from the TransLink Contract Performance
Management Framework during the trial whilst an unproven technology is being
tested
A driver relief vehicle is hired (2 Nos) and included in trial costs, to transport
Sunbus drivers between the Marcoola depot and Noosa Junction to facilitate
driver shift changeovers

Dedicated electricity meters to be used for the trial to verify battery usage and
performance of the bus
It is recommended that both Optare and BYD buses are considered for the 6
 month trial to confirm performance in the field and is estimated to cost $859,900
 (excluding contingencies)
Should the trial succeed the permanent cost of operating the electric bus would
be less than the trial cost as standby buses and drivers would not be required as
the technology is proven as reliable. Consideration may also be given to using
more permanent recharging options that may negate the need for a third bus

Potential funding sources include:
– National Stronger Regions Fund (NSRF)
– Introduce a Council Public Transport levy to fund the trial
– Seek a portion of the total funding from TransLink
– Advertising revenue
Electric buses for the trial will need to comply with all State and Commonwealth
government laws in in particular the Disability Standards for Accessible Public
Transport (DSAPT) 2002 and Commonwealth Disability Discrimination Act 2002
(DDA), and Australian Design Rules (ADR)
Council/TransLink should consider the involvement of Sunbus in the trial as
early as possible




                       GHD | Proposal for Noosa Council & TransLink Division - Planning Report