The Mayor of London, Boris
Johnson, has announced that the route 24 will become the first
bus route in the capital to be served entirely by a fleet of new bus for
London vehicles.
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Plans are in place for the
route to have been fully converted by the summer. The new bus for
London incorporates iconic design, echoing the historic and incredibly
popular Routemaster. It uses the most innovative and cutting edge hybrid
technology and is the most environmentally-friendly bus of its kind,
benefiting air quality and reducing carbon emissions.
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Delivery of 600 new bus
for London vehicles over the next four years has been approved by the
Transport for London Board, in line with the Mayor's election manifesto.
This represents the largest order of hybrid buses ever placed in Europe
and will deliver significant environmental benefits - reducing CO2
emissions in the capital by around 20,600 tonnes a year. The new bus
emits less than half the CO2 and NOx of a current diesel bus.
The Mayor of London, Boris
Johnson, said: “I am thrilled to confirm that route 24 will be the
first in London to be converted to run an entire fleet of these world
leading new buses, which will be the cleanest and greenest of
their kind. That particular route runs right through the throbbing
heart of the capital and Londoners will be able to hop on and off at
their pleasure via the open rear platform.”
Leon Daniels, Transport
for London’s Managing Director of Surface Transport, said: “These new
buses, which carry the latest green technology, have proved immensely
popular with passengers. We are now introducing more and more of them as
we build and expand the biggest hybrid bus fleet in Europe. But it’s
not just about the technology – I’m sure passengers on the route 24 will
also be delighted with the ease of access and the iconic and spacious
design, which echoes the best elements of London’s bus heritage.”
The buses are manufactured
by Wrightbus in Northern Ireland which won a contract in 2009 to build
eight prototypes with an option to produce the first 1,000 vehicles.
Many components of the new bus, including engines, chassis,
superstructure and seats, are manufactured in the UK.
As well as illustrating
the UK's engineering prowess, the order to produce large numbers of
these bespoke vehicles will create jobs and help stimulate the UK
economy.
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/media/newscentre/27090.aspxLink from Tony Wilson
