By investing in 22 new electric double-deckers, the electric bus fleet at the First Bus depot in the Bramley district is growing to 79 vehicles – 57 electric buses from Wrightbus were already introduced in March. This means that half of the depot’s buses will be electric by the end of 2024.
Funding for the new bus fleet was secured via the ZEBRA programme (Zero Emission Bus Regional Area) from the Department for Transport, which added £3.4 million to the top via a ‘variation request’. First Bus and West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) announced a further £11.2m investment in the operator’s Bramley depot which will help make half the fleet zero emission before the end of 2024.
“These state-of-the-art electric buses will help West Yorkshire towards its goal of becoming a net zero economy by 2038, as well as encouraging more people to use public transport,” said Deputy Chair of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority Transport Committee, Peter Carlill, adding: “We are constantly working to introduce more zero-emission buses to the region’s fleet – boosting air quality, improving public transport and helping tackle the climate emergency. This investment will help us build a greener and better-connected West Yorkshire.”