Milton Keynes set to introduce electric buses

Date: 26/9/2012

A deal has been signed between Milton Keynes Council and eight organisations including Aviva to replace diesel buses with electric alternatives on one of the city's busiest bus routes.

The collaboration has been set up for the next five years, but intends to have all buses on the number 7 route running on electricity by the summer of next year.

Due to an innovative new approach which allows the buses to charge wirelessly throughout the day, they will be able to replace the diesel equivalent without any reduction in service.

John Miles, who initiated the trial, said: "What makes the Milton Keynes project different to other electric bus schemes is the wireless charging system."

The change will cut down on tailpipe carbon dioxide emissions by 500 tonnes a year and 45 tonnes of tailpipe emissions of different kinds.

More than 450,000 miles is covered by the buses each year, transporting 775,000 passengers to their destinations.

Mr Miles said: "The Milton Keynes buses will be able to cover a heavily-used urban route because they are able to charge for ten minutes at the beginning and end of each cycle without interrupting the timetable."

As subsidies for diesel buses are withdrawn and the cost of batteries goes down, replacing the pre-existing vehicles in many cities will make economical sense.

Money spent on putting the infrastructure in place may seem like a large upfront cost, but some of this can be recouped in savings through cheaper running costs.

There are also a number of grants available at the moment, from local, national and even European sources to help get such projects off the ground.

Mr Miles said: "This means that for the first time, an electric bus will effectively be able to do everything a diesel bus can do, which is a significant step forwards to a cleaner, quieter, public transport system."

Councillor John Bint, Cabinet Member Responsible for Transport at Milton Keynes Council, said that passengers who use the number 7 route should be proud of their buses' green credentials.

Posted by Nick Anderson

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