Ruddington’s very first bio-gas powered double decker buses will begin operating THIS SUNDAY, the 16th of July. A fleet of five dedicated buses are going into service on the Green 10 route to the City via Loughborough Road, Greythorne Drive and Trent Bridge to replace the less eco-friendly, diesel double deckers. At peak times on weekdays and on Sundays/Bank Holiday Mondays these buses also extend their run as the Green 10X & Green 10C upto Rushcliffe Country & Business Park.
After special previews in the Old Market Square, and at Ruddington’s 2017 Beer Festival, local residents, councillors and passengers have already been praising the key features of some of the greenest buses on the road. The initial 30 buses of Nottingham City Transport’s total of 53 bio-gas additions to its fleet will soon be in operation. The Green 6 “Bridgford Buses” were the first to make their maiden journeys last Tuesday (July 4th) with other routes including Ruddington then being rolled out in the following weeks.
Councillor Allen Wood, Chairman of Ruddington Parish Council, said: “Congratulations to Nottingham City Transport for offering residents of Ruddington the opportunity to travel on some of the most modern vehicles in the country, with the added bonus of less pollution in our atmosphere”.
With a sleek, new exterior design, characterised by more aerodynamic lines, and a glazed staircase to the upper deck, NCT reports that passengers have been commenting positively on the light and airy look and feel of the new vehicles. And, with comfier seats, USB power sockets, plus an up to 84% reduction in harmful emissions compared with their diesel counterparts*, it seems their customers have already been impressed how their bus travel has been so significantly brought into the 21st Century.
“When we officially unveiled our bio-gas buses in the Old Market Square in May, we received lots of positive feedback on how comfortable and spacious the double decks were, and people really liked the modern livery,” says NCT Marketing Manager, Anthony Carver-Smith. “Now that they’re actually in operation, passengers have also been pleasantly surprised by how quiet and smooth they are, which is fantastic to hear.”
These first buses beginning service marks a significant milestone in a project that has seen Nottingham’s award-winning bus operator invest £17m in total – £4.4m in funding from the Government’s Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV), together with £12.4m of its own investment. NCT has worked closely with manufacturers Scania and Alexander Dennis Limited (ADL), together with local companies Roadgas and ZF Transmissions, to create a bio-gas infrastructure at its Parliament Street Garage.
“To see our bio-gas buses finally in operation is incredibly satisfying, and to hear such brilliant feedback from our passengers really is the icing on the cake!” adds Mr Carver-Smith. “Having bio-gas powered buses on the road will help significantly towards improving our city’s air quality and will play a key role in helping Nottingham City Council become the greenest city in the country.”
See and read MORE about Ruddington’s new bio-gas buses >>HERE<<.
And you can view the Green 10 bus times >>HERE<<.
(* Based on Well-to-Wheel GHG saving compared to Euro V diesel equivalent, independently assessed and certified by the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership.)
