Biogas buses launched in Norfolk and Suffolk

Date: 4/12/2012

Passengers travelling between Lowestoft and Norwich have become the first in the country to be transported in a bus powered by biogas.

The service is one of a fleet of 13 buses, which run on the renewable energy produced from biodegradable waste materials.

Anglian Bus, part of the Go-Ahead Group, is operating the single-deck buses which have been purchased at a cost of £624,000.

A new bus route, the 146, has been put into service in order for the energy-efficient, environmentally friendly buses to run.

It has been implemented as a replacement for the 525 Lowestoft to Beccles service and will go via Carlton Colville, Worlingham, Beccles, Loddon and Thurton.

Andrew Pursey, managing director of Anglian Bus, said: "We are proud to say that we are the first company in the UK to implement carbon neutral gas buses onto our services as part of our strategy to drive energy further.

"By being on this bus you are helping us to reduce Norfolk and Suffolk’s carbon footprint."

So far six of the buses have been put into service with the remaining seven to be brought onto the roads early in 2013, with many likely to serve the public in Lowestoft, Great Yarmouth and Ipswich.

The biogas buses reduce carbon emissions by as much as 96 per cent, when compared to traditional buses, as the energy is generated from household waste through the process of anaerobic digestion.

£3 million was awarded to the East of England as part of the government's Green Bus Fund earlier this year, which has helped to pay for the new fleet of buses.

Mr Pursey said: "We are very excited about the new gas buses going into service, and especially on such a high profile new route.

"This project has already stimulated a lot of interest from other bus operators and organisations across the country, who will be watching with interest."

The six buses in service have been decorated in a new livery with three different designs, including one which reads 'Powered by Gas, Fuelled by Nature.'

Posted by Nick Anderson

International Transport News and Sustainable Transport News