Growing up in a regional New South Wales town like Deniliquin, we were always a step or two behind on the trends.
The iconic Volley sneakers didn’t filter their way into our Country Target until at least eight months after everyone else. Sushi place? It was years before we got one of our own.
For decades, metropolitan areas and surrounds have become a breeding ground for what’s hot and trending, the ease of access making it the perfect place to test things out.
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Electric buses have become the latest culprit, filtering out onto metropolitan roads for the last few years and slowly becoming the vehicle of choice for many operators.
When first erupting on the scene, the innovative vehicles were met with a lot of criticism. Concerns about safety rose to the forefront of most conversations, and failed testing overshone the success stories.
As they have now spent time on the roads however, passengers have grown accustomed to the silent and smooth journeys, a lot of the prior concerns slowly fading out of the spotlight.
Now, as inevitably these zero emissions buses head over to regional towns, it seems these criticisms are once again showing face.
Unswayed by the talk, operator Dysons took it upon themselves to be the first in the town to introduce the new trending topic.
“There was a statewide expression of interest and a tender available through Transport for NSW, and we were really keen to get involved,” Dysons regional services operations manager Roy Dyson told ABC.
“We have always wanted to see how electric buses will fare on regional roads, particularly in this area, and so we put our hands up right away.”
The tender is part of a $25 million partnership with Transport for NSW (TfNSW) that will see it begin zero-emissions bus trials in regional NSW using GoZero’s Nexport models.
The buses will be used for school routes that cover the unique operating environments of regional Australia.
“We thought this was a good area for the buses to be tested, both for the terrain and also the climate. It gets very hot out here and quite cold as well,” he says.
The new buses will service Moama Anglican Grammar, Moama Public, Deniliquin High, Deniliquin North Public, Edward Public, Deniliquin South Public, St Michael’s Parish, Mayrung Public, Conargo Public and Mathoura Public.
Two schools located in Echuca in northern Victoria, St Mary’s Primary and Twin Rivers Primary, will also be serviced by the ZEBs.
The Dysons depot is now equipped with a charger that can run two of the buses at once.
“One of the biggest concerns we have heard is that the buses won’t be able to complete the school runs on a single charge,” Dyson says.
“But they have already been smashing goals.”
The two larger buses are charged overnight and are capable of completing the morning and afternoon runs on that single charge.
“The smaller bus has less capacity, so we do top it up between runs, but because of its size, it charges quicker and isn’t an issue.”
The operator’s commitment to providing a sustainable decarbonised bus network even drew praise from NSW regional transport and roads minister Jenny Aitchison when it was announced.
“This is part of the NSW government’s commitment to fully transition the state’s 8,000-strong fleet of diesel and gas buses to zero-emissions buses by 2047,” Aitchison says.
“As 37 per cent of the state’s fleet is in the regions, it is critical we trial them in all conditions.
“It is estimated that having a fully zero-emissions bus fleet in NSW will reduce carbon emissions by 509,000 tonnes a year, or the equivalent of 5,400 return Sydney to Bali flights.”
Despite positive attitudes from government and operators, Deniliquin residents are so far not convinced.
Bringing up the topic while traversing around the town, the words “unsafe”, “dangerous” and “ridiculous” were a constant in conversation.
Comfortable with diesel and wary of the new, even Dysons’ drivers seemed initially hesitant of the change.
“There was a definitely just a fear of the unknown,” Dyson says.
“Is the range going to be far enough for them for their runs? How are they going to hold up to the roads out here?
“But so far, after driving them around, they seem to be coming around to the idea.”
As with everything, only time will tell how the buses will hold up and if public perception will change. Yet Dysons believes in its choice and can see the potential payoff for the community.
“While we’re excited about the wider environmental benefits of this trial, it’s also a great chance to create new training and job opportunities for our local community,” Dyson says.
“As we introduce and manage these electric buses, there will be a growing need for skilled individuals to handle their maintenance and operations. We are thrilled to be able to facilitate those opportunities.”
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