Kinetic has announced that United Kingdom bus operator Go-Ahead Group, who it owns, has teamed up with Oxfordshire County Council, Oxford Bus Company and Stagecoach to launch a fleet of electric buses into Oxford.
The £82.5 million project will deliver 159 battery buses into Oxford, with Oxford Bus Company delivering 104 of these buses and Stagecoach 55 buses.
The council contributed six million pounds after being awarded £32.8 million from the UK government’s Zero Emission Bus Regional Area (ZEBRA) scheme, while both bus operators invested £43.7 million.
Kinetic says the groundbreaking infrastructure project is a huge boost to Oxford’s vision to create a more sustainable and decarbonised public transport system while improving air quality.
In preparation for the launch, Oxford Bus Company has turned its Cowley House depot into an electric bus depot. Kinetic says each charging point provides enough electricity for buses to drive up to 200 miles per day.
Oxford Bus Company gathered key stakeholders for a launch event at Divinity School in Oxford, where some of the new electric buses were showcased and key representatives delivered speeches.
“Go-Ahead is proud to be the largest operator of zero emission buses in Britain,” Go-Ahead CEO Matt Carney says.
“Electric buses make an enormous difference to air quality in cities and by decarbonising our fleet in towns and cities across the country, we aim to make a positive contribution to the fight against climate change.
“These new buses in Oxford will form Go-Ahead’s biggest fleet of zero-emissions buses outside of London. The project is an example of bus operators working closely with local authorities to deliver for communities.”
Oxford Bus Company managing director Luke Marion says the fleet’s launch is a historic moment in the city’s journey towards transforming its services.
“Our first electric bus is now in service, it is already starting to improve air quality and make bus travel an even more attractive option for people to travel around Oxford,” Marion says.
“Decarbonising buses is an exciting project – we have demonstrated that with the right strategic partnership working between the public and private sector, we can unlock investment to make it happen.
“We look forward to working with Oxfordshire County Council on important initiatives going forward to encourage people to travel by bus.”