Stagecoach investment for Perth

Dec 3 2010 by Gordon Bannerman, Perthshire Advertiser Friday

STAGECOACH bus drivers have been braving Perthshire’s icy roads to ferry stranded passengers around the Big County.

But yesterday the talk was of “greening” at the Perth-based company’s headquarters.

Stagecoach revealed they were pressing on with a £3.8 million investment in new greener hybrid buses, with a fleet of 17 state-of-the-art vehicles being introduced in Perth and Glasgow.

The latest investment has been supported by a £1.5 million award from the Scottish Government Green Bus Fund.

The combined investment will cement Stagecoach’s position as the UK’s leading operator of hybrid diesel electric buses, which have 30 per cent less carbon emissions than standard vehicles.

Stagecoach is expecting the new vehicles to be delivered late next summer.

There will be nine single-deck vehicles running on the Stagecoach Goldline service 7 in Perth, which links Hillend and Scone.

Sam Greer, regional director of Stagecoach UK Bus, said: “These new low-carbon buses are great news for Scotland, particularly for passengers and the local environment in Perth and Glasgow.

“Buses already deliver a major carbon saving over using the car, but new technology is only part of the answer to the challenge of climate change. We also need better bus priority, improved bus speeds in our cities, and investment in park and ride if we are to make it more attractive for people to switch to public transport.”