Peter Gutwein,Premier
Passengers arriving at Hobart Airport will soon be able to experience a ‘green’ welcome as one of their first experiences of Tasmania when they travel on two new electric buses marking an important step in the future of clean transport in Tasmania.
The two new Skybus vehicles are the first fully electric passenger buses in Tasmania, and will service the daily passenger route between Hobart and the Hobart Airport.
Electric buses have a number of advantages including lower operating costs, less noise, improved customer experience and reduced air pollution. I congratulate Skybus for their vision and investment into these buses today.
Today’s launch represents a major step forward in our state’s response to climate change, by reducing transport emissions and increasing demand for our clean, reliable and renewable energy.
This initiative also supports Tasmania’s tourism industry, which has identified a goal for Tasmania to become a Carbon Neutral Destination by 2025.
The Government continues to support Tasmanians and businesses to go electric, by waiving stamp duty for electric vehicles and waiving registration costs for car rental companies and coach operators – such as Skybus – that purchase electric vehicles as well.
We are also rolling out a further 43 electric vehicle charging stations around the state, and are funding Metro Tasmania to trial zero emission buses, both hydrogen and electric.
The Government is committed to legislating a nation-leading target of net zero emissions from 2030, and a nation-leading legislative framework embodied in the Climate Change (State Action) Bill 2021.
Today’s launch demonstrates that Tasmania is on the road toward our 2030 target, and zero emission buses have a clear role to play, powered by Tasmania’s clean, reliable renewable electricity.
