McGill’s Buses has placed the first of its Yutong E12s into service in Renfrewshire and says that it is “ready to invest” to ensure that the transition to zero-emission bus operation continues.
Those E12s are operating route 26 between Nethercraigs, Paisley and Glasgow up to every seven minutes. Others will follow on services 23 between Erskine and Glasgow and 38 between Paisley and Glasgow. All 55 E12s will be in service by the end of October, ahead of the COP26 climate change conference’s opening on 1 November.
Overall, McGill’s work to place 68 zero-emission buses into service represents an investment of £32.5m that has been part-funded by two rounds of the Scottish Government’s Scottish Ultra Low Emission Bus Scheme (SULEBS).
The operator has launched a major marketing campaign to encourage more residents to make the shift from car to bus. It includes video content starring local people and McGill’s own animated ‘zero heroes’.
Says Chief Executive Ralph Roberts (pictured, left, with Lord Provost Lorraine Cameron): “The scale of our investment truly demonstrates our commitment to the green agenda, and cements us as a leader in clean, zero-emission journeys.
“This is just the beginning as we look to provide more and more game changing technology to improve air quality in our towns and cities. There is a big call for bus operators to build back better, and even though the last two years have been extremely challenging, that is exactly what we intend to do. There has never been a better time to be a zero hero.”
In addition to the 55 Yutong E12s, McGill’s will receive a solitary battery-electric BYD ADL Enviro200EV and, for its Xplore Dundee fleet, 12 Enviro400EV double-deckers. When delivery is complete, the operator will have Scotland’s largest fleet of zero-emission buses.
McGill’s Group Chair Sandy Easdale adds that the 68 zero-emission buses “should only be the start” for the business.
“All transport operators need to act urgently to not only reduce their own carbon footprint, but also to work harder to entice people away from their cars.
“We believe that the new fleet will be an attractive option for the public, but we are also looking at technology such as hydrogen buses and how we can get them into service. If Scotland and the UK are to lead the way on climate change then we collectively need to transform what we are doing. We are ready to invest to make that happen.”
