Punctuality on Glasgow’s buses has improved by 8.5 per cent since First Bus started handing the timetable over to artificial intelligence. That figure covers more than 60 routes tweaked using AI-powered scheduling software, which analyses live traffic data and historical patterns to build timetables that reflect how the city actually moves — or crawls — during the day. It is an approach that appears to be working, and First is betting on it again.
This week, Transport for Wales unveiled the first of its brand-new Yutong E12 electric buses at Euro Bus Expo in Birmingham.
Tom Harrison (Bus Ambassador)
In the new year, the fleet of modern electric buses will be introduced on the TrawsCymru T1 route between Carmarthen and Aberystwyth, and a new charging hub with new facilities for drivers and buses will open in Carmarthenshire.
The new buses, supplied by Pelican, have been extensively tested for the Welsh terrain and will improve the customer experience by providing comfortable seats, air conditioning, reading lights, tables, and mobile phone charging sockets.
The introduction of these greener buses is another step forward in improving Wales' public transport network, encouraging people to travel more sustainably, and contributing to the Welsh Government's goal of zero emissions and combating climate change.
The Deputy Minister for Climate Change with responsibility for Transport, Lee Waters said: “This is great news. The introduction of the new fleet of electric buses will provide a great boost to the TrawsCymru bus service and is an important step in fulfilling our 20-year ambition for a high-quality, multi-modal, integrated, low-carbon network of public transport here in Wales.”
James Price, Transport for Wales CEO added: “This is another key milestone as we continue to transform public transport across Wales. This is the first step in decarbonising the entire TrawsCymru fleet by 2027 and all buses in Wales by 2035.
“It’s great to see the new electric bus on display at this event and in the coming months these modern buses will be in service, improving the customer experience and encouraging more people to leave the car at home and choose to use public transport.”
Carmarthenshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport, Waste and Infrastructure Services, Cllr. Edward Thomas said: “We are pleased to be working with the Welsh Government and Transport for Wales to deliver the infrastructure and the electric buses. This is an important step forward to help deliver high quality, decarbonised transport on the Welsh Government Traws Cymru – Carmarthen to Aberystwyth service.”
Public transport folk have long talked the talk about modal shift and journey time reliability. Greater Manchester’s Bus Priority Programme is the latest to prove that when done properly buses really can walk the walk, or rather roll the roll.
Punctuality on Glasgow’s buses has improved by 8.5 per cent since First Bus started handing the timetable over to artificial intelligence. That figure covers more than 60 routes tweaked using AI-powered scheduling software, which analyses live traffic data and historical patterns to build timetables that reflect how the city actually moves — or crawls — during the day. It is an approach that appears to be working, and First is betting on it again.
Dutch public transport operator Qbuzz has ordered 62 more electric buses from Chinese manufacturer Yutong, to be delivered by the end of 2025. This follows their previous order of 50 Yutong buses, which entered service in South Holland in December 2024. Qbuzz Why Yutong? Timing is Everything While many European manufacturers are still wrangling with post-pandemic supply chains, inflation and the occasional bankruptcy, Yutong appears to be sticking to the basics: building and delivering buses on time. In a pointed but measured statement, Qbuzz explained their decision to look beyond Europe: "European bus manufacturers face challenges in the delivery of zero-emission equipment. For example, in addition to the delivery problems of Iveco, Qbuzz also had to deal with the bankruptcy of Belgian bus manufacturer Van Hool, which meant that the delivery of 112 electric buses was cancelled. As a solution, Yutong produced and delivered 50 electric buses within six months, which perform w...
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