New fleet is part of the largest investment in Cambridge’s bus network in a decade to help tackle air pollution and encourage more people to travel by bus.
Residents will be able to travel on the zero-emission, Volvo BZL double decker buses as they are introduced into service from this Sunday 14 May at the Madingley, Trumpington and Newmarket Park and Ride sites, from Sunday 4 June at the Milton and Babraham Park and Ride sites and from mid-June on the Citi 2 service. At this point the five Cambridge Park and Ride and Citi 2 services will be fully electrified and carbon-free*, and Stagecoach’s Cambridge bus fleet will be 31% electric.
Each vehicle costs close to £500,000 and has been funded by the Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority, Greater Cambridge Partnership (GCP), Stagecoach East and the Department for Transport following a successful bid to the Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA) scheme.
Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, Dr Nik Johnson said “It’s fantastic to finally see these buses in Cambridge and to have had the privilege of taking a journey on one of them today. This is a landmark moment for our bus network, and these 30 electric vehicles are marking a turning point for public transport in the region. Removing 30 diesel buses from our historic city and replacing them with these new vehicles will not only have a positive impact on the health of our region by reducing air and noise pollution, but will also help in the broader fight against climate change as we embrace these new and exciting technologies.
I look forward to seeing these buses on our roads and to the next steps we will be taking to ensure that all buses and taxis operating within the Combined Authority area are zero emissions by 2030.”
A competition to name the buses has also launched today, with members of the public asked to take inspiration from people who have made a positive difference to their community. The online form to suggest names for the buses can be found here.
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