First Bus is investing £70m in another 160 zero-emission buses in the West of England, on its journey to become a 100% zero-emission fleet by 2035.
In total, 27 of the 160 vehicles will be repowered diesel buses, and each one will reduce carbon dioxide emissions (CO2) by 75 tonnes a year compared to the existing diesel fleet.
An extra £20m was secured through the latest round of the Department for Transport’s (DfT) Zero Emission Bus Regional Area (ZEBRA) funding scheme, in partnership with the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority.
Its West of England area will now be running 258 zero-emission vehicles, transporting more than 750,000 passengers per week.
A total of four out of the company’s five regional depots will be electrified by next year, following the electrification of the Weston Island (Bath) and Lawrence Hill (Bristol) depots.
The investment in Bristol and Bath is part of a wider First Bus decarbonisation commitment to operate a 100% zero-emission fleet by 2035.
Janette Bell, Managing Director for First Bus, said: “We’re thrilled that our people and customers in the West of England will benefit from government co-funding for these transformative projects.
“It’s been a tremendous joint effort from us and our combined authority partners to get here and we cannot wait to get these vehicles out into service.
“We already have over 1000 zero-emission buses on the road serving our customers and this latest investment is another exciting step forward.
“With each milestone we’re one step closer to becoming a nation who loves and uses the bus.”
