Aberdeen’s local bus operator Stagecoach Bluebird will roll out 22 electric buses across the granite city following an £11.2m investment, with £4m support from the Scottish government Ultra-Low Emission Bus Scheme.
The fleet of zero-emission buses will be based at the Tullos depot and will serve high frequency routes in Aberdeen. The buses are also low-floor easy-access and will be fitted with eleather seats – a material made entirely from recycled leather.
Additionally, the new buses are fitted with on board stop announcements which will be welcome news for visitors to the city landing at Aberdeen Airport as well as anyone travelling with visual impairments.
Service 727 connecting the city centre to P&J Live indoor arena and Aberdeen Airport will welcome the electric fleet at the end of the month. Service 59 will also welcome the brand-new fleet to the route. Service 59 connects Balnagask with the city centre, Aberdeen Royal Infirmary and Northfield.
Service 59 was one of the first routes in Scotland to be operated using electric-hybrid buses, the hybrid fleet originally launched in 2012 will soon be replaced by the new zero-emissions buses with double the capacity on the route.
Peter Knight, managing director at Stagecoach Bluebird, said: “We are all really excited to welcome the electric buses to our Aberdeen fleet. Training for our team of drivers and engineers is well underway and we are planning for the new buses to be out in service for our customers later this month.
“Sustainable transport is critical to the future of our planet: decarbonising local journeys, reducing road congestion, improving air quality and tackling climate change. Travelling by bus, when we can, is one of the easiest ways to address climate change through carbon reduction of our own journeys.
“Major investment in new zero-emission buses also needs to be matched by better road infrastructure and more bus priority measures to help encourage people to make the switch from car to sustainable public transport.”
