- The UK town of Warrington is continuing its process towards having a fully-electric bus fleet, after local bus operator, Warrington’s Own Buses, announced the arrival of the first electric double decker buses to the fleet.
- This new delivery comes part of a total 105 electric buses set to join the bus operator’s network, which will eventually lead to the replacement of all existing diesel-powered buses in its fleet.
- The delivery marks yet another UK region becoming heavily invested in the transition to zero-emission buses
New electric buses for Warrington
Like the existing electric buses on the Warrington’s Own Buses fleet, these double deckers will be Volvo BZL models, providing a cleaner and quieter ride than their outgoing diesel counterparts. Furthering that green aspect, the council are ensuring that all electric buses are charged on 100% renewables.
This significant investment, which totals 105 electric buses in the long term, was helped along by the UK Government’s ZEBRA 2 funding program, which offers zero-emission bus-related funding to transport operators outside of London. Other UK regions who also recently announced large investments in the electric bus world include First Bus, who are opening five new electric bus charging depots in the UK, in collaboration with Heliox. This was also partly made possible through the ZEBRA 2 program.
Warrington Borough Council Leader and Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, Councillor Hans Mundry, commented:
“The arrival of the first of our electric double-deckers is the latest milestone in our efforts to deliver greener, cleaner transport in Warrington, and create a more sustainable and environmentally friendly town. I’m looking forward to seeing the fleet continue to grow in the coming weeks and months. These buses are not only good for the planet, reducing our carbon footprint and improving air quality, but are also providing more comfortable, efficient, and accessible bus journeys and creating a quieter, more pleasant environment for our residents and visitors,
We’re committed to reducing emissions and congestion, and increasing the share of journeys made by bus. Investing in a bus service which is fit-for-the-future is a crucial part of that. Our order of 105 electric buses is one of the largest in the country, putting us at the forefront of delivering sustainable public transport. This, combined with the huge improvements we’ve been making to services across the board means it really is the start of a bright new era for bus travel in Warrington.”
