Electric buses to run on key Somerset routes from April
The countdown is on for the arrival of electric buses across the county
You'll be seeing more electric buses on the streets of Somerset - with a new fleet being launched this week at a special event.
The countdown is officially on, with 25 cutting-edge zero emission vehicles being introduced in their mission to transition to Net Zero here in the county.
From April, First Bus, in partnership with Somerset Council will introduce brand new, state of the art EVs, to a number of routes, which is a first for our part of the world.
And all town centre buses in Taunton (the 1, 4,6,7 services) will be fully electric, bringing cleaner, greener air to the centre. Routes 21, 22 and 28 will also operate with EV vehicles.
The project has been funded via a collaboration between First Bus in Somerset and Somerset Council. The partnership was awarded £2.2m from the Department for Transport’s (DfT) Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA 2) scheme and First Bus invested £12.5m in vehicles and electrifying the bus depot at Taunton.
Simon Goff, First Bus South’s Managing Director, said: “It’s exciting to be bringing electric buses to Somerset, supporting cleaner, greener travel in the county. We’ve made a major investment in this project, which shows our strong commitment to our passengers and bus services in Somerset. We’re excited for our customers to experience these fantastic new buses.”
Councillor Richard Wilkins, Somerset Council’s Lead Member for Transport and Waste Services, said: “This is a vital project which will improve travel for local people who will benefit from these state-of-the-art vehicles, including improved air quality and a much better journey experience overall
“I am delighted that electric buses will soon be operational as part of our plans to transform bus travel. Don't miss out on this opportunity to witness the future of sustainable transport first hand in Taunton.”