Park and hybrid ride as new bus hits the road in Bath
The first hybrid bus to run on diesel and electric in the South West has been launched in Bath, serving park and ride passengers throughout the city.
Powered by a small 1.9-litre turbo diesel engine, less than a quarter of the size of those for conventional buses, it is serving all three park and ride sites, switching between diesel and electric as it goes.
The £270,000 vehicle is being trialled for six months by operator First in partnership with Bath and North East Somerset Council as part of a European initiative which promotes environmentally-friendly transport in urban areas.
The Civitas Renaissance project, which operates in five historic cities across Europe, aims to help cities to achieve a more sustainable, clean and energy-efficient urban transport system. The new hybrid technology will be closely monitored, with researchers from the University of the West of England conducting regular interviews with passengers to find out their views.
Engineers at First will assess the vehicle's performance, fuel consumption and emissions in comparison with conventional diesel buses.
The battery draws energy from the engine and from the vehicle's braking system and is in turn able to power the vehicle, maximising efficiency and reducing emissions.
The system is expected to be particularly effective in Bath where braking on the hills of Lansdown and Wellsway will mean the vehicle can draw enough energy to run almost entirely on battery power while in the city centre.
John Birtwistle, projects director for First and the person responsible for the trial in Bath, said the firm was delighted to be able to test such new technology.
He said: "We will be watching the trial carefully to see how this bus performs; if all goes well and it is seen to reduce our operating costs and to attract more people to use public transport – as we hope it will do – then it could signal a shift towards us buying more hybrid buses."
Peter Dawson, planning policy and transport manager for B&NES added: "We are really pleased that First is conducting this trial that could result in long-term benefits for the urban environment through the use of green hybrid technology."
Tony McNiff, managing director of First Bristol, Somerset and Avon, added: "This is a significant step forward for bus operations in Bath.
"There are very few cities outside London that are implementing this advanced hybrid bus technology and I'm delighted that the people of Bath will be working together with First on the frontline of this cutting edge environmental development."
Bus driver Mike Whitaker, who has been in the job for 15 years, said the vehicle was much better to drive.
He said: "I think this is a brilliant idea and it is time to try something new."
13 Comments
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by PS, Bath
Thursday, September 09 2010, 8:17AM
“Steve - Not sure who took away your comment but I doubt it was anything to do with First UK.
If they employ a Public Relations Manager that either can't or won't answer a very simple question, how likely is it that your comment was either understood or attributed any value by them?”
by Steve, Bath.
Thursday, September 09 2010, 12:19AM
“So how come my comment has been removed? Maybe a bit of factual input was not desired here? Must be somebody inside First who took away my right to free speech then! Thats First for you.”
by Peter Streater, Bathwick
Tuesday, September 07 2010, 9:52AM
“Pete, the benefits of hybrid engine technologies have already been proven. So why have you only chosen to describe them in generic terms, providing no new information and without any reference to the topic which is "trials" in Bath?
For First UK or anyone else to suggest that these bus trials in Bath might somehow reveal new technical breakthroughs or entirely new evidence to support the case for them, in comparison to conventionally powered transport, is a nonsense and bears no real scrutiny.
The real reasons for these trials on Park & Ride routes remains hidden.”
by Pete, Chippenham
Monday, September 06 2010, 7:43PM
“Mr Turner, trolleybuses deliver zero emissions at the point of use, the same applies to trams. They do not pollute the streets we use or the air we breath. In Bath this is particularly important as the city's location in a bowl surrounded by hills traps vehicle emissions. The London Rd at Cleveland Place exceeds the EU air quality levels by quite a margin I believe. Electricity generation does cause emissions through the burning of fossil fuel, but it is easier to mitigate against that at a few power stations, rather than in a fleet of diesel buse. Another advantage of electric traction is reduced noise and vibration. I hope the hybrid bus trials prove successful, and offer significant fuel savings over diesel buses.
For more on the advantages of trolley buses see citytransport.info/Electbus.htm”
by Peter Streater, Bathwick
Saturday, September 04 2010, 11:29AM
“Karen - even though your reply doesn't answer my question I'd like to say thank you very much and I appreciate you taking the time to provide it.
Here are the reasons for my conclusion.
1 & 2) Don't say why P&R operations are considered a more "natural fit" than other routes or why the project was specified as you describe, which were salient points of my query.
3) Makes logical sense but begs an additional question: 'Does this mean no single deck hybrids have been built to offer greater flexibility in trialling the hybrid technology'?
4) Makes logical sense, but surely driver training would be the same regardless of trial routes used? This therefore fails to address my original question.
5) Is not at all relevant as there is no route through Bath that doesn't have to negotiate both level conditions and the hills that surround the city. So this also fails to address my original question.
If you have more time I'd now be interested to read reasons why you appear to have avoided answering the question.”