UK: Transdev orders 15 eCitaro

The public transport operator Transdev has ordered 15 electric buses from Daimler Buses for use in England. With the 15 Mercedes-Benz eCitaro electric solo buses, Transdev intends to convert a line between Keighley and Bradford in West Yorkshire to locally emission-free operation from the end of 2024.

Transdev is investing 4.4 million pounds in the 15 new electric buses and will receive an additional £3.1 million from the UK government’s Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA) funding programme.

The order from West Yorkshire will be handled by the Keighley Bus Company, which will then use the vehicles on behalf of Transdev. The line between Keighley and Bradford is known in the region as “The Shuttle.” In the run-up to the order, the operator tested several electric bus models on the route, which is served every 15 minutes. Passengers could give feedback on the respective test vehicles. What exactly tipped the scales in favour of the German model is not clear from the press release.

The eCitaro from the current order are not the first electric buses Transdev has ordered for use in Great Britain. In August, the Harrogate Bus Company in North Yorkshire, which belongs to Transdev, ordered 39 new electric buses – 20 electric solo buses of the type Mercedes-Benz eCitaro and 19 electric double-decker buses of the type Alexander Dennis Enviro400EV.

transdevbus.co.uk