Ireland's first all electric town bus service is being praised as it reaches its first anniversary of operations in Athlone. The Pathfinder Project was launched in January 2023 by Minister for Transport, Eamon Ryan. The programme saw 11 zero emission take to the streets of Athlone in a pilot scheme.
As part of the operation, Bus Eireann drivers and mechanics took part in comprehensive training programmes, while the BE Service Depot in the town was upgraded to hold EV charging infrastructure. The electric bus fleet has now completed over 530,000 kilometres worth of journeys and with an estimated 400,000 kilograms of tailpipe emissions eliminated. Local Councillor Aengus O'Rourke believes the Operation has been a major success: