Alexander Dennis (ADL) and BYD have supplied nine BYD ADL Enviro200EV single-deck buses to Stagecoach East Scotland to be used on local services in Perth.
The buses, ordered earlier in the year, will run on Perth routes 1 and 2, connecting housing areas with the city centre, Perth Royal Infirmary, retail and leisure developments, schools and the local football ground. The buses are equipped with USB charging points at each seat and are fitted with contactless payment facilities.
The vehicles were built by ADL in Falkirk and are part funded by the Scottish Government’s Scottish Ultra Low Emission Bus Scheme (SULEBS). Energy supplier SSE is providing associated electrical infrastructure at Stagecoach’s Perth depot.
The delivery comes amid the introduction of a total of 46 fully electric buses to Stagecoach operations in Aberdeen, Kilmarnock and Perth, all supplied by the BYD ADL partnership.
“We are all really excited to be introducing our first fully electric vehicles in East Scotland thanks to SULEBS and the funding made available for us to deliver this,” says Douglas Robertson, Managing Director for Stagecoach East Scotland. “There has never been a more important time to take action to address the climate emergency and play a part in helping Scotland deliver on its net zero ambitions.
“Without Stagecoach bus services, there would be an annual increase of 190,000 tonnes of CO2 through passengers using alternative transport. These investments are expected to deliver an estimated annual reduction of around 67,000 tonnes of CO2e from its fleet of more than 1,200 buses in Scotland in less than 15 years.”
Adds ADL President and Managing Director Paul Davies: “Stagecoach continues to be at the front of investment in sustainable mobility and this new electric bus fleet for Perth is further testament to the group’s ambition in supporting not only the Scottish Government in its targets, but also underpinning skilled jobs and apprenticeships in the world-class UK bus manufacturing industry.
“We are proud that our innovations continue to enable Stagecoach in delivering greener journeys. We look forward to continuing to work with Stagecoach and the Scottish Government in decarbonising the country’s bus fleet.”
Scottish Minister for Transport Graeme Dey says: “By helping operators invest in greener fleets, we can support our green recovery and keep more people moving with fewer carbon emissions and better air quality as a result.
“More journeys are made by bus compared to any other public transport mode and a vibrant bus industry can provide the solutions to complex challenges in our society. With the buses being manufactured in Falkirk, we are also helping the Scottish bus industry and wider supply chain.”
