There are 90 electric buses on the roads, about 20 percent of the fleet. Photo: Greater Wellington Regional Council
An increase in electric buses has led to better air quality in Wellington's central city.
The regional council's 2021/22 environmental impacts annual report shows greenhouse gases and air pollution have trended down since September 2021.
This improvement coincides with an increase in kilometres travelled by electric buses compared to diesel buses, according to senior environmental scientist Tamsin Mitchell.
On Manners Street, diesel particles in the air fell by 28 percent and nitrogen dioxide by 18 percent, as the proportion of electric buses running those routes went up.
There are 90 electric buses on the roads, about 20 percent of the fleet, according to Metlink general manager Samantha Gain, and it is hoped to increase the number to 108, 22 percent of the fleet, by 2023.
"Our target is for all core service bus routes to be electric-only by 2030 and we're working towards complete decarbonisation of the bus fleet by 2035," Gain said.
One of the city's first electric buses. Photo: RNZ / Jane Patterson
The latest Health and Air Pollution in New Zealand study in 2016 found health problems worsened by air pollution contributed to more than 3300 premature deaths nationwide, and cost $16 billion in a single year.
Two thirds of those deaths were attributed to vehicle emissions, with nitrogen dioxide causing damage to people's respiratory and cardiovascular systems.
The pollution report showed in Wellington that nitrogen dioxide contributed to 162 early deaths, 667 hospitalisations for respiratory and heart conditions, and 1183 childhood asthma cases.
More electric buses will also take the council closer to its emissions reductions targets , however, simply converting to cleaner buses wouldn't be enough, Gain said.
"Bigger gains in reducing carbon across the region will, however, be made by encouraging a mode shift away from cars to active and public transport."
