Stagecoach East’s new Park & Ride fleet has been fitted with the
very latest stop-start technology to help reduce nitrous oxide emissions
and improve air quality in Cambridge city centre.
The cutting-edge technology prevents buses from ‘ticking over’ whilst
loading and unloading passengers at bus stops. Instead, it automatically
switches the engine off as soon as the driver activates the handbrake
and opens the doors – thereby reducing pollution by restricting the
discharge of particulate matter and nitrous oxide emissions* during
these times.
The leading Euro 6 technology also features an
ongoing safety system whereby, if a bus is giving out more emissions
than it should be, it goes into ‘limp mode’ and effectively shuts the
vehicle down. Previous Euro 1-5 standards only test at new and are not
on-going.
The 22 new ADL (Alexander Dennis Limited) E400 MMC
buses - which all feature the redesigned colour-coded Park & Ride
livery - represent a £4.7 million investment by Stagecoach East, and are
now officially the greenest in Cambridge.
Andy Campbell,
Managing Director of Stagecoach East said: “This is the very latest
technology and was only just available when we ordered the new Park
& Ride fleet. The principle is a simple one: Turn the engine off
when the bus isn’t moving and it will use less fuel, improving overall
economy and, very importantly, lessening emissions.
“We see this
as being a positive step forwards and a significant contribution towards
improving air quality in congested Cambridge, reducing our
environmental impact and hopefully encouraging more customers to opt for
our greener, smarter travel.
“Looking after the environment is
an important consideration for us as we have frequent bus services
running every 10 minutes. When we look to invest in future vehicles, we
will be looking to buy in the same technology or whatever future
enhancements are available. We are committed to investing in our
services as we aim to deliver the highest standards of public transport
in our city, both now and in the future.”
As well as improved
engine efficiency and a higher standard of emissions, the new Park &
Ride fleet provides on-board Wi-Fi, USB sockets and improved comfort
for passengers.
* The new stop-start system promises to
reduce fuel consumption by between 4%-7% (depending on duty cycle) and
cut nitrous oxide emissions by 30%-40%.