More than 500 yellow electric buses are now officially in operation on the streets of Greater Manchester as the Bee Network hits a major milestone.
Three years after Transport for Greater Manchester brought buses under public control, the 500th zero emission bus has now entered service following its delivery to Stagecoach’s upgraded Oldham depot.
Built by Wrightbus, the new bus also marks the 99th in the region to be powered entirely by electricity – an increase in zero emission service made possible by major investment in the city region’s transport system, including the ongoing work to electrify bus depots.
With a number of depots now undergoing electrification; a further 163 new buses can now be delivered and put into service, with the last three orders this calendar year having been placed with Wrightbus and set for supply from the company’s site in Ballymena, Northern Ireland.
Greater Manchester is currently on track to possess a fully electric fleet by 2030, with the transition set to cut over 76,000 tonnes of CO2 and 280 tonnes of nitrogen oxides every year, as well as support Greater Manchester’s investment-led approach to improving air quality.
Vernon Everitt, Greater Manchester’s Transport Commissioner, said:It’s great to see the depot in Oldham join the growing list of bus depots in Greater Manchester to be electrified. This means even more zero emissions buses can join the Bee Network and keep us on track to have a fully electric fleet by the end of the decade.
This electrification work is a crucial part of our investment-led approach to improving air quality which is working. By taking old buses off our streets and keeping fares on the Bee Network affordable, we’re improving the experience of getting on board the bus for communities right across the city region.
