More electric buses to 'transform' Salisbury bus network
Salisbury Reds will be getting 23 new buses ready for 2026
Salisbury's bus service is going to be 'transformed' from 2026, thanks to 23 new electric buses that will be coming to the city.
A successful bid by Salisbury Reds and Wiltshire Council has resulted in £11.4 million being handed out by the government to revolutionise the city's bus network and Stonehenge Tour service.
The funding comes from the latest phase of the Department for Transport’s ZEBRA (Zero Emission Bus Regional Area) scheme.
Managing Director of the Reds, Andrew Wickham, told Greatest Hits Radio that it's 'really good news' for the city.
"The whole Salisbury City network pretty much will be operated by these 23 electric buses," he said.
The new buses will be zero emission and will make a massive difference to the air quality of the city.
There are already three electric buses operating on Salisbury's park and ride routes, which Mr Wickham says have been popular with passengers and drivers.
"They're much smoother than a diesel bus and the idea that you get on one is much better," he said.
Mr Wickham told us that the buses are made to order and the new fleet will be made up of 11 single decker buses and 12 double-deckers.
But before they hit the road, major investment is needed in the infrastructure of the service to accommodate the new buses.
He said: "It is not a case of a three-pin plug and we plug them into the wall at night in the lounge or something like that.
"We will need to bring in a substantial sort of amount of electricity probably to be a new substation that we need. We're arranging that with a supplier now before the buses come.
We obviously want to get the electricity in first, but this is not a domestic supply. This is a heavy duty electrical supply that we're going to need and get installed before the buses come."
The new buses will feature some of the latest technology, including tap-on and tap-off for tickets, light coloured floors to aid people with dementia and more comfortable seats.
"Every time we buy new buses, we always have evolved from the previous versions that we have. So it's a slow evolution, but every time we get new buses, they're a bit better than the last ones and we certainly hope these will be the pride of Salisbury."