Translink have been forced to move electric buses worth over £15 million paid for by the taxpayer out of two its depots over a pay dispute with engineers worth £40 extra per week.
As revealed in the Irish News on Tuesday, nine new electric buses paid for by the Department for Infrastructure had yet to turn a wheel in Translink’s Craigavon depot since being delivered last August.
The buses were delivered as part of Translink and the Stormont department’s plans to decarbonise public transport in the north.
One hundred of the new fully electric vehicles were paid for by the Department for Infrastructure last May from local company Wrightbus at a cost of £64 million - £640,000 per bus.
However, it is understood the nine inactive buses housed in Craigavon were taken to another Translink depot on Wednesday - their first movement in six months.
The Irish News can also reveal a further 15 electric buses which were delivered to Translink’s Falls Road depot in November were also removed last week following a dispute with engineers over additional pay and training.
Staff are understood to be requesting an additional two hours overtime, equivalent to £40 per week, to work on the new vehicles.
Translink and Unite the Union, which is representing the workers, have yet to publicly acknowledge the dispute.
One Translink engineer who is among those unhappy with their current conditions accused Translink of “penny pinching”.
“It doesn’t make much sense for us at all, they are happy to spend millions upon millions on these new vehicles but they don’t want to pay anybody or train us on how to work on them,” the staff member said.
“Penny pinching when they are spending millions, it’s ridiculous.
“Our staff need this training because their jobs require them to be safe, these are high voltage vehicles and if you put something in the wrong place it is highly dangerous.”
A Translink spokesperson did not reference any dispute with staff, but added that the rollout of zero emissions vehicles was being completed in phases.
“Translink continues to roll out zero emission vehicles to decarbonise public transport in Northern Ireland.
“This is being completed in phases, and to date nearly 200 buses have been placed into service across Derry/Londonderry, Coleraine and Belfast.
“We look forward to introducing the next phase of zero emission vehicles into passenger service.”
Unite the Union and the Department for Infrastructure have been approached for comment, with the union declining to comment and the department stating that the matter was an “operational issue” for Translink.