SMMT Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders : Major UK operator invests in new hybrid bus fleet

One of the UK's biggest national bus operators, Arriva, has invested in a new fleet of 174 hybrid buses, with the help of grants from OLEV, the government's Office for Low Emission Vehicles.

Both Merseytravel and Transport for London were beneficiaries under the £30 million Low Emission Bus Scheme, allowing 123 of the new Volvo diesel-electric hybrid buses to enter service in London, while a further 51 will operate on selected routes around Merseyside.

The buses are all Volvo B5LH chassis with Wrightbus bodywork, and deliver fuel economy and CO emissions reductions of up to 39%, compared to a conventional diesel double deck bus.

Fleet Sales Manager for Volvo Bus, Dan Barwick, said, 'We are confident that Arriva will see the consistent fuel economy benefits these hybrid vehicles will deliver to their business nationwide. We are very pleased Arriva has chosen Volvo once again for this latest purchase and look forward to working with them again in the future.'

Phil Cummins, Area Managing Director for Arriva North West added: 'Upgrading our fleet to include hybrid buses such as these, really is a 'win-win' situation, because the government incentivises us to switch to hybrid vehicles, and once we switch we are then rewarded with the benefits of increased efficiency and lower fuel costs going into the future.'