Green Travel

Coach company welcomes hybrid buses to mark its 75th anniversary

09/11/2011 By Louise Williams Leave a Comment

A coach and bus travel company from Stoke have introduced three hybrid buses to their fleet just in time to celebrate 75 years in business.

Bakers Coaches from Stoke will operate the three new electric and diesel powered low floor double-decker buses on their routes transporting students as part of their contract with Staffordshire University. As well as being the first electric powered vehicles to be operated under the BakerBus brand, the new vehicles are also the first double-deckers to be used by the transport operator.

The coach and bus transport provider has trialled a demonstrator Volvo hybrid bus on its route prior to taking delivery of their new eco friendly vehicles and found that the green bus delivered fuel savings of 20% on average; although Bakers Coaches are confident their new vehicles will be even more fuel efficient as the Volvo hybrid they trialled was a preproduction model.

The new hybrid buses will also benefit from having Michelin X InCity X2V3 tyres fitted which are made from a special type of rubber which helps increase the vehicle’s mileage further.

The leading regional coach and bus provider say they are delighted to be launching the new eco-friendly buses at the same time as celebrating their 75^th anniversary as this demonstrates their commitment to delivering greener and cleaner transport.

First of the new London Routemaster buses driven off the production line

04/11/2011 By Louise Williams Leave a Comment

The first of the new style London Routemaster buses was driven off the production line today by the man who’s spearheaded their return.

Boris Johnson vowed to scrap the bendy buses and reintroduce a new version of the classic open platform London buses as part of his election pledge during his bid to become mayor of London in 2008, and today he delivered on that promise when he got behind the wheel to drive the first of the vehicles off the production line at the Wrightbus factory in Northern Ireland.

The first batch of finished hybrid Routemasters will be operated by Arriva and introduced to busy central London bus routes from early next year. Their return will signal the first time the Routemasters have been seen on the London transport systems since they were phased out in 2005.

Eight of the new style double-deckers will be launched into the city to begin with, all of which feature three entrances/ exits, and two staircases. However the rear exit of the bus will only be open at peak times as a second member of staff is required to ride on the bus to supervise when the back platform is opened.

The London mayor predicts that the new Routemasters will ensure London is seen as a “world leader” in terms of its public transport system, and is confident the environmentally friendly buses will be well received by the public as the double-decker have been designed with the city and its passengers in mind.

Filed Under: All News, Industry News, Transport and Traffic news Tagged With: Boris Johnson unveils first new style London bus, bus travel, coach hire london, double-decker coaches, Green travel, hybrid buses, london bus hire, london coach hire, London Double-Decker bus, London Routemaster with open platform to return, low emissions, new Hybrid buses reduce fuel consumption and emissions, open platform buses to be re-introduced to London routes, routemaster, TFL, Wrightbus coachbuilders

Green buses launched on routes in Sheffield

27/09/2011 By Louise Williams Leave a Comment

A fleet of hybrid buses have been launched on bus routes in the city of Sheffield. The 21 diesel and electric fuelled buses are part of a campaign by Stagecoach Yorkshire to make public transport more environmentally friendly and attract more people onto their services.

The state of the art hybrid buses all have free Wi-Fi onboard, which is an added bonus for passengers travelling on services in Sheffield, and are expected to each use 20,000 gallons of diesel less a year compared to regular fuelled powered buses, helping to cut emissions by 30% annually.

The cost of the hybrid buses is thought to be in the region of £6 million, however the bus company received a £2 million grant from the Government’s Green Bus Fund, to help with the cost of the new hybrid buses.

The technology behind the green buses, coupled with eco-friendly driving, will help lower carbon emissions from public transport throughout the city. The batteries also store energy which is generated when the brakes are applied, helping to extend the range of the vehicles further.

The comfortable new buses also offer a smoother ride than the diesel fuelled vehicles they are replacing. Stagecoach Yorkshire hopes that the superb facilities and reliable services which the buses will offer will help tempt more people out of their cars and onto the new Hybrid buses.

Filed Under: All News, Industry News, Transport and Traffic news Tagged With: Coach Hire North Yorkshire, eco friendly buses, Green travel, Greener Journeys Campaign, hybrid buses, Stagecoach, Stagecoach Yorkshire unveil 21 hybrid buses in Sheffield

Boost for Scottish coach builder after two major contracts secured in one week

13/01/2011 By Louise Williams 1 Comment

Scottish coach builders, Alexander Dennis, have received a major boost this week after announcing they’ve secured two major contracts.

The Falkirk based bus manufacturers have won an order for 520 buses and coaches for Stagecoach, as well as an order of 120 vehicles for New Zealand Bus in Auckland. The Stagecoach deal is believed to be worth in the region of £40 million, while the order for NZ Bus is reported to be worth £25 million to the coach builders.

The majority of the buses and coaches for the Stagecoach order will be made at the company’s head quarters at the Falkirk plant which currently employs around 2,000 staff, half the company’s global workforce.

Alexander Dennis will build the chassis and body work for the vehicles at the Falkirk plant. The orders include a range of buses and coaches including single, double-decker and midi size vehicles.

This isn’t the first deal agreed between Stagecoach and Alexander Dennis, the bus builder is currently working on an order for a number of hybrid buses which Stagecoach is planning to deploy to different cities across the UK within the coming year.

One of the bosses at Alexander Dennis described the deals as “a very good start for 2011.”

Filed Under: All News, Industry News, Transport and Traffic news, Uncategorized Tagged With: Alexander Dennis bus builders win two major contracts, bus travel, cheap coach hire, coach builders Alexander Dennis, coach hire, Green travel, New Zealand Bus make an order for buses from Alexander Dennis, Stagecoach, Stagecoach Manchester to invest in hybrid buses

Hydrogen bus fleet launched in London

13/12/2010 By Louise Williams Leave a Comment

Following a three year trial of a handful of hydrogen buses on the London bus network, the first fleet of these super green buses are set to join the city’s transport service on a permanent basis.

Described as the “next generation” of hydrogen buses, these vehicles emit hot water vapour as opposed to highly polluting gases which will help reduce the city’s CO2 emissions which will in turn, improve the air quality in London.

A total of 8 hydrogen buses will be introduced to the London bus network before Christmas, with the first one being launched earlier this month on one of the city’s most popular routes which takes in many tourist hit spots including Covent Garden, The Tower of London and the South Bank.

In addition to the launch of the hydrogen buses, which were especially designed for use in London, Transport for London will also welcome the brand new Routemaster to its bus network in 2012, just in time for the Olympic Games. These vehicles are reported to give off 40% less pollution compared to the traditional diesel engine Routemaster.

The Mayor of London also announced that the UK’s largest permanent hydrogen refuelling station will be created in East London which will help facilitate the introduction of the new hydrogen powered buses to the city’s public transport routes.

Filed Under: All News, Industry News, Transport and Traffic news, Uncategorized Tagged With: cheap coach hire london, coach hire london, green bus travel, Green travel, Hydrogen buses launched in London, london coach hire, UK's biggest hydrogen refuelling station to be built in East London

Oxford welcomes new fleet of green buses from Stagecoach

21/07/2010 By Andrew Morgan Leave a Comment

The 26 new green buses will be used along some of the busiest routes in Oxford

Oxford has this month welcomed the arrival of a fleet of brand new hybrid electric buses which will be used along some of the city’s busiest routes.

The 26 new double-decker buses boast cutting edge green technology and emit 30% carbon emissions compared to regular buses. Bus operator Stagecoach invested £7.5 million into the new fleet and also received funding from the government’s Green Bus Fund. Each of the electric hybrid buses cost £300,000 each.

The 78-seater double-decker bus will help the city reach its goal of having fewer buses on the roads, but more seats.

Oxford is leading the way in the UK with its dedication to providing green public transport links. Only last year the city introduced a fleet of 26 environmentally friendly coaches to work on the route for the Oxford Tube, and earlier this year 17 green buses were introduced onto routes working in Witney.

These aforementioned vehicles were equipped with Euro 5 engines which are recommended by the European Commission.

Between the city’s two main bus operators, Stagecoach and The Oxford Bus Company, Oxford is fast becoming one of the greenest cities in the whole of the UK. By the end 2010, it’s estimated that 91% of Oxford’s fleet of bus ad coaches operating in the area will be compliant with the council’s Low Emission Zone standard.

Filed Under: All News, Industry News, Transport and Traffic news Tagged With: Coach Hire Oxford, Green travel, new hybrid electric buses from Stagecoach introduced in Oxford, Stagecoach launch new electric bus fleet in Oxford

Volvo’s new hybrid coach goes into production

01/06/2010 By Louise Williams Leave a Comment

The new hybrid bus from Volvo will significantly reduce emissions and fuel consumption

Volvo’s new hybrid bus and double-decker coach has gone into production is has been announced.

The Volvo 770 bus, and the double-decker coach B5L both help to significantly reduce fuel consumption and carbon emission, according to the manufacturer.

Two of Volvo’s manufacturing plants, one in Sweden and the other in Poland, have been charged to making the parts of the new eco-friendly buses, while Northern Irish coach makers Wrightbus will create the coaches.

The new vehicles will feature both a diesel and an electric engine which can be used together, or independently. The buses will also have an energy saving feature which turns the bus’s engine off when it calls in at bus stops.

Volvo say the hybrid buses will cut fuel consumption and emissions by 35%. The improved fuel consumption rates will reduce running costs dramatically. Also with diesel prices continuing to rise, more and more operators will be turning to electric powered buses and coaches in an attempt to reduce running costs.

The bosses at Volvo say they have created a green bus which is also “commercially viable” spelling good news for the transport industry as a whole.

Filed Under: All News, Industry News, Transport and Traffic news Tagged With: Green travel, Hybrid bus from Volvo in production, new Hybrid buses reduce fuel consumption and emissions, Volvo 7700 hybrid buses, Volvo Coaches, Volvo coaches for sale, Volvo's hybrid buses are being manufactured

London mayor announces the return of the Routemaster bus

18/05/2010 By Andrew Morgan Leave a Comment

London’s mayor Boris Johnson has announced the return of the iconic routemaster complete with open platform and green credentials.

However the new routemaster bus will be an altered version of the bus of old which was part of the fixtures and fittings of London’s transport system. A digital image of the new bus was unveiled by the mayor during a press call at a Battersea bus depot. The brand new version of the iconic vehicle will have two sets of stairs, plus an open platform at the rear of the bus which will allow passengers to hop on and off as they please.

An extra member of staff will travel onboard the routemasters when the open platform is in use to ensure the safety of passengers. The feature will be closed during quiet periods, and on night bus services.

The vehicles will also feature green technology which will mean a reduction in emissions and also noise as the buses are much quieter to run, plus running costs will be reduced as the new routemasters have improved fuel consumption.

However all of this comes at a price. The first 5 buses will cost a total of £7.8 million although this covers the cost of the design, development, and the building of the state of the art buses. The vehicles which follow the first batch are expected to cost £300,000 each.

Mayor Boris Johnson believes the buses will become a “red emblem of 21^st century London” and will be vehicles which “Londoners can be proud of.”

Filed Under: All News, Industry News, Transport and Traffic news Tagged With: bus travel, coach hire london, Green routemaster to return to London's bus network, Green routemasters will hit London roads in the autumn, Green travel, london bus hire, London night bus, London Routemaster with open platform to return, routemaster

Electric minibus in the pipeline

21/04/2010 By Louise Williams Leave a Comment

After the success of their electric transit van, Smith Edison are now creating an electric minibus

The makers of the award-winning Smith Edison electric van have now turned their attention to creating an electric powered minibus, the prototype of which was premiered at the CV Operator Show 2010.

The green vehicle will be the first 17-seater electric minibus in the UK. The model is currently in production and is based on the Ford transit chassis. Once complete the manufacturers say the electric minibus will be able to reach top speeds of 50mph, will boast an 80 mile battery range, plus it will take 8 hours to completely recharge the battery.

A battery, which is installed underneath the minibus so as not to take away from the passenger space, is at the centre of the technology which will run the vehicle.

Once the minibus is up and running the manufacturers expect the vehicles will be popular for use as airport shuttles, to transport tourists to attractions, and for city trips. Interest in the 17-setaer electric minibus is expected to be huge due to its seriously green credentials and its ability to dramatically reduce carbon emissions.

Smith Edison also has 12-seater and 15-seater electric minibuses available. The vehicles have very low running costs when compared with petrol fuelled minibuses, they emit zero emissions, and can be charged fully overnight.

Filed Under: All News, Industry News, Transport and Traffic news Tagged With: Green travel, Minibus Hire, new electric minibus debuted at the CV Operator Show 2010, reduce carbon emissions, Smith Edison electric 17-seater minibus

London’s new green buses to be shipped thousands of miles for engine installation

26/03/2010 By Louise Williams Leave a Comment

Transport For London have come under fire this week after it was revealed that the much celebrated hydrogen-powered buses will be shipped three-quarters of the way around the world to have their engines fitted.

The environmentally friendly fleet of London buses, which are part of a £15 million scheme, are being made in Northern Ireland. However they will then be shipped to California where they will have their specialist engines installed.

The 5 buses will be ready to join London’s bus network by November this year after their trip back from the States.

There has been much hype about the hydrogen buses as they don’t produce any pollution or carbon dioxide.

Despite their green credentials, many have questioned whether the long trip to California and back, and the massive carbon footprint this will incur, is worth it. It’s been specified that a single container ship emits more pollution than 2,000 diesel trucks, however shipping the buses is more environmentally friendly when compared to flying.

TFL have defended their decision to ship the hydrogen-powered buses saying that in the long term they will reduce their carbon footprint considerably. They say it is necessary to transport the new buses so far as they are high tech vehicles and only a handful of places in the world have the expertise to work on these buses.

Filed Under: All News, Industry News, Transport and Traffic news Tagged With: Green london buses to be shipped to US and back for engine fitting, Green travel, Hydrogen-powered buses set to arrive in London, london bus hire, London bus travel, Transport for London