London is to get a fleet of six hybrid, duel-fueled buses the Mayor announced today. Mr Livingstone made the announcement as he unveiled the world’s first hybrid double-decker bus.
The buses are powered by a combination of diesel and electric power and produce less Carbon Dioxide (CO2) emissions than traditional buses.
Making the announcement Mayor Livingstone said the buses would “make a real contribution to a cleaner, greener public transport network for the capital” and called on bus manufacturers and operators “to rise to this challenge to make this economically and financially feasible.”
The Mayor described the creation of the fleet as “an important part of our work to cut the emissions which are causing climate change.”
In addition to the new buses there will be a new £25m climate change fund to mitigate transport related emissions which will be administered by Transport for London and forms part of TfL’s new Business Plan.
TfL’s Peter Hendy said the fund had been designed “to develop clean, green initiatives to mitigate the impact of transport related emissions, over and above those we are already taking forward.”
Calling for cooperation from the bus industry Hendy said the organisation was “sending a clear message to London and the transport industry that we are serious about this. Transport for London will work with bus manufacturers and operators to take this important step, and they need to start working with us now.”
