A London operator has been granted permission to run an additional fleet of electric buses, with 23 10.8 metre vehicles and their associated infrastructure due to be in service by summer 2018.
The buses will be operated by Metroline and will be supplied by the BYD/Alexander-Dennis Limited (ADL) partnership. They will be based at the operator’s Holloway garage and will operate on Route 46 from Lancaster Gate to St Bartholomew’s Hospital.
BYD will supply the required charging equipment at Holloway and, in association with electricity supplier SSE, will work with Metroline on related infrastructure.
Metroline has been operating five BYD pure electric double decks, the world’s first, on Route 98 since May 2016. The buses, built in China and unveiled during Chinese President Xi’s visit to Britain in 2015, are pre-production pilot models which have been on trial to see if electric technology works on double as well as single deck buses.
Metroline’s Chief Operating Officer Sean O’Shea said, “As the operator that launched the world’s first all-electric, zero emission double decker bus service in London last year, Metroline is pleased to be able to follow this with an additional 23 single deck models to serve Route 46. This is a significant step, and further underscores our determination to lead the industry as well as our commitment to our customers and Transport for London to deliver the very best service possible.”
Isbrand Ho, BYD’s MD for Europe, said, “We are delighted that Metroline has joined the growing circle of TfL operators choosing British-built buses from BYD ADL. We are confident that, as elsewhere in London, this fleet will prove efficient and reliable in service.”
