But soon, Mosgiel public transport passengers will come to know it as the sound of silence.
The new Chinese-built 75-passenger electric bus is the first to start plying the route between Mosgiel and Dunedin, and by July there will be six of the large 75-capacity buses in a fleet of 13 new electric buses being brought into service for the Mosgiel routes.
Otago Regional Council transport manager Lorraine Cheyne said the Mosgiel electric bus fleet would eventually consist of six large electric buses and six normal-sized electric buses.
There would also be a smaller, 22-seat, wheelchair-accessible bus for the up-and-coming Mosgiel-on-demand service, she said.
"We’re excited to see the successful introduction of the first large bus, given Mosgiel bus patronage has steadily increased following the introduction of the express bus service in 2023."
Ms Cheyne said the larger buses were being introduced to increase capacity during peak times and allow for further bus-use growth in Mosgiel.
As of June 30, the 13 new electric buses would service routes 77, 78, and the new Mosgiel-on-demand service, which would replace routes 80 and 81.
She said the efficiency of the larger buses would allow some "minor tweaking" to the timetable, for smoother connections, supported by some minor route changes — all of which would be announced closer to the time.
The first large bus went into service last week, and further vehicles were due to be delivered to Dunedin in May and June.
"Being able to put the larger bus into service early provides drivers with the opportunity to gain experience in the new vehicles."
She said eventually much of the fleet would be stabled at Go Bus’ existing depot in Dukes Rd, Mosgiel, which had been upgraded to include charging infrastructure for the 13 new electric vehicles.
Go Bus — a subsidiary of Kinetic — was the successful contract tenderer and had installed a new electric charging station.
Go Bus chief operating officer Ben Barlow said the arrival of the first Go Bus zero-emission bus marked an exciting milestone, and allowed the Otago Regional Council to deliver cleaner, more sustainable public transport for the region.
As contracts fell due, all diesel buses would be progressively phased out and replaced by electric buses in the coming years.
"We’ve already received fantastic feedback from both customers and drivers."
