300 Hybrid Buses To Be Driving the London Streets by 2011

london hybrid bus photo
photo: Wrightbus

Yesterday Transport for London unveiled a new range of single and double deck hybrid buses which will form the first stage of a major expansion of the UK capital’s hybrid bus fleet. By the end of January 2009, 56 hybrid buses will be on the road, with a further 300 to be in operation by 2011.

Transport for London touted the advantages of the hybrid buses:

Quieter Ride, 40% Lower Emissions
TfL says that the new hybrid buses have CO2 emissions which are 40% lower than conventional buses. What’s more they are significantly quieter, a fact which should make living alongside a bus route and being a passenger more pleasant.

Mayor of London, Boris Johnson was a bit more colorful in commenting on the new buses:

Londoners that travel on buses with the green leaf livery can rest comfortably in their seats and enjoy clear environmental consciences, safe in the knowledge that their journey will guzzle far less fuel and expire a whopping forty percent less carbon dioxide than a regular bus.

To put this in some perspective, the London bus fleet consists of some 8,000 vehicles, so while adding 300 is a step in the right direction, it’s just the first step on a long road. Transport for London has indicated that by 2012 every new bus which enters the fleet will be a hybrid.

via: Transport for London (press release)

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