The Hull Bus Alliance will be hosting an event in Queen Victoria Square, on Thursday 18 June, to provide residents and bus users with the opportunity to see some of the city’s new electric buses and speak to representatives from Hull City Council, Stagecoach East Midlands and East Yorkshire Buses about the rollout of the vehicles, in Hull, including routes and timetables.
The event takes place on Clean Air Day, the UK’s largest annual air pollution campaign, which aims to raise awareness about air quality and the importance of reducing air pollution.
A new electric bus from each operator will be present between 10am and 3pm.
Councillor Mark Ieronimo, cabinet portfolio holder for transport and Infrastructure at Hull City Council, said: “Some bus users have already benefited from the new electric buses and, as more services transition to electric across the summer, many more residents and communities will be able to experience the future of public transportation.
“These new vehicles are having a transformative impact throughout Hull, providing quieter and more comfortable journeys as well as helping to reduce carbon emissions and improve air quality.”
In total, 82 electric buses will be serving the city in the coming months, replacing older diesel vehicles operated by both bus companies in Hull and the East Riding.
Once in service, the new electric buses will be responsible for almost a third of all bus journeys in the city.
Stuart Fillingham, commercial director at East Yorkshire Buses, said: “Clean Air Day is a great opportunity to highlight the positive role buses play in creating healthier, more sustainable communities.
“We are pleased to have recently introduced 27 new electric buses across Hull and the East Riding, representing a major investment in cleaner, greener travel.
“Every journey made by bus helps reduce congestion and improve air quality, making it an easy choice for people looking to travel more sustainably.
“We are also proud to be part of the Hull Bus Alliance, working together to deliver better journeys for everyone and encourage more people to choose the bus.
“By investing in modern, environmentally friendly vehicles and strong local partnerships, we’re helping to create a cleaner future while keeping communities connected.”
Matt Cranwell, managing director at Stagecoach East Midlands, said: “We are delighted to be part of the roll-out of electric buses in Hull and East Riding. They promise a smoother, quieter ride for our loyal customers, all at the great value offered by local bus services.
“Clean Air Day is an excellent opportunity to highlight the role that buses can plan in improving our local environment. Recent research shows that if every person in Great Britain switched just one car trip to bus or coach per month each year, by 2030 it would create a cumulative reduction of two million tonnes of carbon dioxide. What’s more, a shift of two trips per month would result in a cumulative reduction of 19.5 million tonnes by 2050.”
The rollout was made possible thanks to a successful joint bid by Hull City Council, East Riding of Yorkshire Council, Stagecoach East Midlands and East Yorkshire Buses, which secured almost £10million in funding from the Government’s ZEBRA2 (zero emission bus regional areas) project.
The funding supported the installation of charging facilities at both operators’ depots in Hull as well as the purchase of the new vehicles.
Electric buses run on rechargeable batteries and are quieter and provide a smoother ride. They are also easier to maintain, which improves the reliability and performance of bus services.
They have a range of up to several hundred miles and are charged externally, usually at the depot on a plug, after the end of service.
Although buses make up a small proportion of overall emissions, transport is now the UK’s largest emitter of carbon.
Unlike diesel buses, electric buses produce no carbon emissions or nitrogen oxides, so they can contribute to improved air quality and reduce other concerns that residents and communities have, such as noise pollution.
In addition to the electric buses, the event will also be attended by the Yorkshire Coast Community Rail Partnership and representatives from TransPennine Express.
To find out more about the electric bus rollout in Hull, visit: the electric bus section of the Travel Hull website.