Dublin Bus gets
 70 fuel-efficient double-deckers

By Cormac Murphy

SEVENTY new buses with lower fuel consumption will be operating on the streets of Dublin within months.

Dublin Bus said the vehicles will be in place around the end of September as it seeks to phase out older models.

The double-deckers will have green technology that will meet stringent EU standards. They will also be lighter and have better fuel consumption and lower CO2 emissions.

"They come in in phases. There will be some next month and they should all be in by the end of September or the beginning of October," a spokeswoman said.

"It's part of our fleet replacement programme. We've been doing this on an annual basis since 2012."

The aim is to replace the older vehicles in the 926-strong fleet, with 80 new buses arriving in 2012 and 70 in each year since.

"The oldest buses would have been about 12 years old - that's the maximum age you should keep buses. The average age of the fleet is now seven years," the spokeswoman said.

The SG model vehicles comply with the Euro 6 standard for emissions, making them the most eco-friendly available.

Dublin Bus recently announced it is to sell scores of its old fleet.

Up for grabs is the famous Ghost Bus which was retired in March after 40 years.

Five of the buses - the Leyland Olympian/Alexander model - date from 1990, but 63 are from 2000 onwards. They have recently been retired.

The newer models for sale have super-low floors with powered wheelchair ramps as well as "fogmaker" fire-suppression equipment.

Bids can be made for one, some or all of the vehicles. The closing date for sealed tenders is today at 5pm.

comurphy@herald.ie