Stagecoach have announced plans to introduce a fully electric fleet of buses in Perth, from the early part of next year, as they aim to have a net zero UK bus fleet by 2035. In Perth there will be 13 new electric buses introduced adding to the nine zero emission busses already operating in the area.
The new buses in Perth will be part of a £13.9 million investment in electric buses with some of the funding coming from the Scottish Government. The Perth fleet will be made up of seven single-decker buses, five minibuses and one double-decker bus.
Stagecoach Regional Director for Scotland, Sam Greer said: “As part of our drive to target a net zero UK bus fleet by 2035, we are excited to be announcing our plans to deliver the UK’s first all-electric city bus networks, building further on the investment made in new zero emission buses in a number of places in the UK.
“An investment of almost £14m, supported by the ScotZEB fund, will see new state-of-the-art electric buses introduced across Inverness and Perth that will help deliver significantly reduced emissions in these major cities.
“One of the quickest ways local people can help deliver net zero is by switching from cars to buses, as well as walking and cycling more. We look forward to continuing to work in partnership with the Scottish Government and local transport authorities on measures to deliver more priority for bus passengers, more reliable services, simpler ticketing and the best value fares.”
Plans are underway for the city bus network in Perth to be fully electric from early 2023, with the electric buses replacing the current fleet of diesel Stagecoach buses, in an effort to make Perth a cleaner city.
Minister for Transport, Jenny Gilruth, said: “I’m pleased that Scottish Government investment continues to rapidly transform bus fleets across the country.
“This latest announcement from Stagecoach is welcome, and is fantastic news for everyone who lives in, works and visits Inverness and Perth. Not only will these new buses help reduce transport emissions and respond to the climate emergency, they will improve local air quality too.
“Stagecoach have been a valued partner in our Bus Decarbonisation Taskforce. They understand that to respond to the climate emergency, we all need to accelerate the transition to a zero emission bus fleet as soon as possible. I look forward to seeing these latest electric buses soon, which I know continue to be welcomed by customers across Scotland.”
As well as the fleet in Perth, Stagecoach will also introduce a fleet of electric buses in Inverness at the end of 2022.