Brighton & Hove Buses has celebrated the introduction of new electric buses into the city with a large launch event at the Royal Pavilion Gardens.
The event marked the rollout of 16 new StreetDeck Electroliners supplied by Wrightbus, and featured live music performances, entertainers and family-friendly activities.
Once operational, each electric bus in service, all of which have been built in Northern Ireland, will have the capacity to save up to 164 tonnes of CO₂ per year – the equivalent of planting 7,450 trees.
Initially, the 16 new buses will begin service on route 7, which provides transport to education, work, healthcare and leisure facilities, as well as onwards travel via Brighton and Hove train stations.
Rupert Cox, Interim Managing Director for Brighton & Hove Buses, said:This is an important step in our journey towards greener and more accessible travel for our passengers. The turnout at the launch event yesterday is testament to how much people care about their local bus service.
The launch event at Royal Pavilion Gardens focused on accessibility, with co-design and co-production at the forefront of the new electric fleet itself. The vehicles have been designed in collaboration with disabled people, representative organisations and manufacturers, and have been informed by continuous passenger feedback.
Each vehicle featured a new, dementia-friendly seating moquette, co-designed and co-produced by the Alzheimer’s Society Horsham Rusty Brains Dementia Voice Group.
Those present for the event, which also featured the unveiling of ‘The Road to Electric’, an exclusive exhibition detailing over 140 years of Brighton & Hove Buses history as well as a short film introducing the arrival of electric buses to the city of Brighton and Hove, included The Deputy Lieutenant, Mayor of Brighton & Hove, the Department for Transport, Brighton & Hove City Councillors and key representatives from local accessibility groups and charities.
