Leicester City Council has announced the purchase of a set of 10 additional fully electric Yutong buses from zero-emission bus supplier Pelican.
The purchase marks a major milestone on the city’s journey to offer one of the UK’s largest fully electric bus networks.
All new buses will operate on council-supported services delivered by Centrebus, and serve routes 20, 24, 81, 83 and 162.
The investment, which has been valued at around 4 million GBP, builds on Leicester City Council’s existing fleet of 24 electric buses, which already operate the city’s Park & Ride services, Hop! city centre buses, Hospital Hopper and Orbital routes. It also marks another milestone in the Leicester Buses One Network Partnership, which aims to bring together Leicester City Council and the city’s bus operators to deliver a simpler, more integrated network based around five customer promises: Electric, Frequent, Reliable, Easy and Great Value.
It is hoped that this partnership will enable the creation of a coordinated network of around 30 main bus lines with common standards for vehicles, ticketing, information, branding and customer experience.
Councillor Geoff Whittle, Assistant City Mayor (Environment & Transport) said:This latest investment is another significant step towards delivering one of the cleanest and most modern bus networks in the country. Every new electric bus improves air quality, reduces carbon emissions and provides a quieter, more comfortable journey for passengers.
Together with our operator partners, we’re creating a simpler, greener network that encourages more people to choose the bus.
