Arriva goes green as the first gas buses arrive in Runcorn

Arriva North West celebrated the arrival of its first fleet of gas buses as they rolled into Runcorn this week. A special launch event took place at the Beechwood Avenue depot to welcome the eco-friendly, carbon neutral buses, powered by household waste, to the town.

The introduction of ten MAN EcoCity gas engine buses to Runcorn follows a successful trial of the technology in Merseyside during 2012 and a £2million investment as a result of a bid to the government’s Green Bus Fund. The gas buses, powered by landfill-produced gas, go into service in Runcorn from the 1st of March across Arriva’s 1, 2, X30 and 21 services.

The new buses are a key part of Arriva’s continued strategy to improve the company’s impact on the environment, as John Rimmer, area managing director of Arriva North West, explains: “As one of the largest bus companies in the North West, we are committed to leading the way when it comes to using technology to deliver solid benefits to our customers and the environment.

“The buses have been specially designed for the UK market and, as they run on bio-gas, provide a carbon neutral solution to the environmental challenges we face as a transport provider in the 21st century.

“This is a fantastic investment for Runcorn and these improvements are another step towards making bus travel as environmentally friendly as possible. The future will see further investment to reinforce our commitment to greener travel.”

The gas-engined vehicles are part of a £15.5million overall investment in new, environmentally friendly buses in the North West, supported by the Green Bus Fund. This includes 44 hybrid double deck buses across the region, in addition to the ten MAN Ecocity single deck buses in Runcorn.

The gas will be provided by members of the Gas Bus Alliance. This recently formed organisation aims to support vehicle makers, dealers and operators with advice on all aspects of running low-emission Compressed Natural Gas Vehicles.

For more information, visit www.arrivabus.co.uk/greener-buses