The first of 50 zero-emission electric double-decker buses have now arrived in Plymouth, marking a major shift toward cleaner public transport.
This project is being primarily funded by Plymouth Citybus, part of the Go-Ahead Group, contributing £19.6 million, supported by a £10.34 million grant from the Government’s Zero Emission Bus Regional Area (ZEBRA) 2 Fund.
There are also additional contributions of £1.94 million from Plymouth City Council and Cornwall Council.
The initiative will replace almost half of the Plymouth Citybus fleet with new electric vehicles and the full fleet of 50 buses is scheduled to be on the road by the end of the year.
They will operate on Plymouth routes 21/A, 42, and 50/51, with six vehicles also serving the Rame Peninsula in Cornwall on route 70.
Transformation of the operator’s Milehouse depot into a hub for charging and maintaining the electric fleet is on track for completion this summer.
Richard Stevens, Managing Director of Plymouth Citybus and Go Cornwall Bus said, “The arrival of our first electric buses marks a huge step forward, not just for Plymouth Citybus but for the city as a whole.
“Our team is thrilled to be part of this positive change, and we are fully committed to building a greener transport network for generations to come.”
Councillor Mark Coker, the Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport, said, “It’s fantastic to welcome Plymouth’s first electric buses and to be supporting the establishment of Milehouse as an electric bus depot.
“This is a major milestone and demonstrates the commitment of all the project partners – and wider enhanced partnership – to delivering better bus services for the city.”
