IS IT a bus? Is it a Luas tram? No, it's a 'Bus Tram' - the future of Irish public transport, according to Bus Eireann.
And if you live in Galway or Cork, there's one coming to a bus stop near you.
The bus tram is being rolled out on a trial basis this summer to assess its suitability for Ireland.
Bearing a striking resemblance to the Luas, the bus tram (pictured above) costs just €500,000 each - a fraction of the Dublin light rail system. There is also no digging up of streets involved, as the bus tram runs on small wheels.
The big benefit is that each model is capable of carrying up to 150 passengers - twice the capacity of the conventional bus.
Erica Roseingrave, Bus Eireann publicity manager, said yesterday the company also intended putting bus trams into service in Galway during the Galway races on a trial run.
The bus tram is already in use in Leeds, York, Holland, Canada and the US.
"They have the carrying capacity of the traditional tram, but come at a fraction of the cost," said Ms Roseingrave.
Treacy Hogan
Irish Independent
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