The Deputy claims there's been a number of issues with the scheme in the midlands.
The brakes need to be pressed on an electric bus service scheme, following issues with the service in the midlands.
They're the words of Roscommon Galway TD Michael Fitzmaurice, who's criticising the Pathfinder pilot project, which is running in Athlone.
He claims the service had to stop an hour early as a result of the cold weather, and says turning the heat up inside the buses greatly reduces the range of the vehicle.
The Independent Deputy is calling for the pace to be slowed:
In response to queries from Midlands 103, Bus Éireann says the electric vehicles are impacted by colder weather conditions.
It also says some of the curtailments were unavoidable, but they're currently being assessed, with the company looking at how the performance of the buses and schedules can be optimised to minimise these impacts in the future.
In a statement to Midlands 103, a spokesperson from Bus Éireann also says:
"Charging is scheduled to take place after 11pm on the lower night time electricity tariff, to ensure minimal impact on the local grid in Athlone for the public and wider community, during peak periods of use and to maximise cost effectiveness of the operation. This does not have any impact on the vehicles power or result in them operating on ‘low power’.
The temperature inside the buses is maintained at a set temperature similar to other buses of the same type operating across the UK. The control systems on the buses will adjust the heating or cooling on the bus as required to maintain that set temperature. The set temperature can be adjusted up or down but such adjustments are likely have a negative impact on overall vehicle range and service delivery."
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