300th hybrid bus introduced onto London's streets

Date: 9/7/2012

London's bus fleet is on track to be one of the greenest in Europe, according to Transport for London (TfL), after it introduced the 300th hybrid bus to the city's fleet.

In total, around a thousand hybrid buses are to be introduced on to the capital's streets over the course of the next four years as part of plans to improve air quality.

The introduction of the 300th hybrid bus acts as a major milestone in this process, with the bus now in service on route 211 between Waterloo and Hammersmith.

Currently, a further 104 hybrid buses are on order at a cost of around £5 million thanks to funding from the Department for Transport.

Originally, the Department planned to finance just 70 buses, but Transport for London has managed to negotiate and increase that order so that over 400 of these vehicles will be in service by next year.

Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: "I am determined to clean up London's buses to improve quality of life.

"We are pioneering new technology to do so, including through the wider introduction of these greener hybrid vehicles and my brand new bus for the Capital.

"This is all part of my plans to cut pollution across the city."

The scheme means that at least 1,000 hybrid buses will be on London's streets by 2016 alongside a similar number which will be fitted with equipment to cut pollution.

Mike Weston, London Buses operations director, said: "We have reached a significant milestone at 300 hybrid buses and the benefits of these cleaner, greener buses only increase as we add more to our fleet.

"That's great news for Londoners and the health and wellbeing of all who live here."

Hybrid technology combines batteries with a conventional diesel engine and an electric motor in order to propel vehicles and was first trialled by TfL in 2006.

Posted by Nick Anderson