The CEO of Bus Eireann and the Minister for Transport have paid tribute to the staff of Athlone Bus Station.
The Bus Eireann depot in the town is now home to the country's first electric town bus fleet.
The new service was launched by Transport Minister Eamon Ryan in the last hour.
The new all electric vehicles cost over €600,000 each and are expected to reduce emissions by 400,000 kg annually.
Significant upgrade works were completed at the depot last year, with staff completing over 500 training hours on the new vehicles and infrastructure.
Speaking at the launch at the station this afternoon, Bus Eireann Ceo Stephen Kent says the local staff have been incredible.
"Our staff have been tremendous in terms of the response to this. They've embraced the change here. There's over 500 hours of training that has brought us right to today. From the drivers, the mechanics, the engineers, they're all at the forefront. The reskilling for our engineers and garages has been significant so everyone is embracing it. They know that this is the future. I'm overwhelmed by the response we've got from our own people here and throughout the rest of the organisation, everyone is watching this".
