They’ve placed Harrogate firmly on the map as a UK trendsetter in green travel – and now Transdev’s subsidiary The Harrogate Bus Company is marking the nation’s Clean Air Day by digging deep for a tree-mendous celebration of its amazing all-electric buses!
The bus company became the first in the country to introduce the fume-free Harrogate Electrics buses in 2018, after it became the only operator in Yorkshire to win funding of £2.25 (€2.46) million from the Government to create Britain’s first Low Emission Bus Town.
Its eight sparkling red Harrogate Electrics buses have since become a familiar sight on the town’s streets, proving popular for their swift, clean and comfortable service – and as the UK celebrated the Clean Air Day on 8 October 2020, The Harrogate Bus Company revealed its electric buses have together covered more than 400,000 miles – the equivalent of going around the world over 16 times.
In March of last year, our subsidiary marked its commitment to cutting carbon emissions further by promising to plant a tree in Harrogate for every 10,000 miles covered by its electric buses, beginning with an oak tree at West Park, close to the town center. It now plans to fulfil its promise by planting 39 more trees in three areas served by its Harrogate Electrics buses, including in the Nidd Gorge close to Bilton, at Jennyfield and in the pine woods near Pannal Ash.
Our electric buses help clear the air in our town, and when we introduced them two years ago, we promised to plant one tree for every 10,000 miles they cover. Since then, these amazing buses have clocked up over 400,000 miles, and so we’ll keep our promise by planting 40 trees for Harrogate.
Alex Hornby, CEO of the Harrogate Bus Company
The town’s switch to electric buses is all about making a longer-term positive change to the way we travel. Alongside our electric buses, trees help by absorbing even more carbon dioxide emissions. With our planting of 40 trees, our customers can rest assured that every time they travel on our electric buses, they’re helping to make Harrogate a greener place.
The Harrogate Bus Company’s commitment to a cleaner town is being welcomed by Zero environment campaign group Zero Carbon Harrogate.
The group’s Chair, Jemima Parker, said: “We are dedicated to making Harrogate a zero-carbon community by 2030 to secure a sustainable future, and The Harrogate Bus Company’s electric buses are making a vitally important contribution towards realizing that ambition. As we begin rebuilding our local economy beyond the pandemic, we can’t just go back to congested streets and traffic jams. We can make our town a better place by choosing to use these excellent electric buses instead of driving, which simply fuels pollution. The Harrogate Bus Company has shown a clear commitment to the town’s zero carbon future, firstly with its electric buses and now by keeping its promise to plant 40 trees across our town. It’s a great example of a sustainable and successful business which places a high value on protecting the environment in Harrogate.”
The ground-breaking Harrogate Electrics buses are designed to a bespoke specification. Each bus is packed with customer-friendly features, including ‘countdown to departure’ destination displays, audio-visual next stop announcements, USB at-seat power points, Wi-Fi and wireless mobile device charging.
Each of the eight Harrogate Electrics buses is named after a local school in Harrogate, to mark 114 years of proud service dating back to 1906 when buses run by The Harrogate Bus Company’s predecessors first took to the town’s streets.
Full information on Harrogate Electrics bus services 2A, 2B, 3 and 6 at: https://www.transdevbus.co.uk/harrogate