Trolley buses will be taken off Wellington roads after 60 years and will temporarily be replaced with diesel before an electric fleet is rolled in.
It's a move described by Transport Minister Phil Twyford as "a shame".
"It would have been nice if the council had had a plan to roll out an all-electric bus fleet and have a seamless transition from the trolleys to electric buses."
"But the costs would be prohibitive for central government to get involved and prolong the life of this ageing infrastructure."
Work is underway to take the capital's trolley buses off the road.
The move comes after central government decided to not intervene in the de-commissioning of the trolley buses.
Mr Twyford said one of the government's top priorities was reducing carbon emissions in the transport sector, meaning they want to accelerate the roll out of low-carbon public transport.
"In Wellington I think that will mean electric buses. We would work with local councils to make that a reality"
SHARE ME