Monday 3 August 2020

York welcomes the ‘largest zero emission park and ride fleet in the UK’

A Yorkshire transport company has invested £9.3 million into replacing its diesel vehicles to zero-emission buses to help improve the air quality in the city.

First Bus has launched the roll-out of what claims to be 'the largest zero-emission park and ride fleet' in the UK.

The full order of the 21 Metrodecker EVs is expected to be brought into operation this summer.

Each bus saves almost one kilogram of carbon dioxide emissions for every kilometre travelled, which is estimated will mean a saving of 1.6 million tonnes of carbon dioxide a year when the 21-bus Metrodecker fleet is complete.

The buses can carry 98 passengers and have a range of 160 miles from one overnight charge, which means they can operate on the network all day without recharging.

As part of the investment, the company has also spent £1 million upgrading the charging infrastructure at its depot, including a new electricity sub-station.

Marc Bichtemann, Managing Director of First York, said: "This is an important stage in our shared ambition to expand sustainable transport in the city. We are determined to attract more customers to using buses and realising the real impact this has in reducing congestion, creating cleaner air and supporting the local economy, not least as York continues its revival from the pandemic.”

Councillor Keith Aspden, Leader of the City of York Council, said: “It is excellent to see that York is leading the way nationally with the introduction of the largest zero-emission Park & Ride fleet in the country, a key part of our efforts to improve our air quality and more widely, tackle the climate emergency."

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