Transdev Announces £7.5m Order for 15 Mercedes-Benz E-Citaro Buses

A significant development has been announced by Transdev today. The Keighley Bus Company have made a substantial £7.5 million investment in 15 new electric buses, aimed at transforming one of their most popular routes, The Shuttle, which connects Keighley and Bradford in West Yorkshire, into a zero-emission operation.

Alex Hornby

With support of £3.1 million from the Government's Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA) fund, secured through a successful bid by their partner, West Yorkshire Combined Authority, this initiative is set to make a real impact.

The 15 electric buses are all Mercedes-Benz E-Citaro models. This comes on the heels of another order for 20 similar vehicles that will be deployed in the Leeds, Wetherby and Harrogate areas.

These new buses are designed to meet the requirements of Bradford's Clean Air Zone, which was launched in September 2022 and covers all vehicles except private cars and motorcycles. Notably, one year on, Bradford has reported its lowest recorded levels of air pollution, and the shift to electric power on the Shuttle route is expected to further enhance air quality on some of the region's busiest urban roads.

Prior to this major order, The Keighley Bus Company conducted successful trials with various all-electric buses on the high-frequency Shuttle route, which runs up to every 15 minutes. These trials included gathering feedback from passengers on key design features, and this feedback has been taken into account in the specifications of the newly ordered buses.

Henri Rohard, the Managing Director of The Keighley Bus Company, expressed his enthusiasm for this development, stating,

"We're excited to announce this significant order for 15 new electric buses. These buses will not only offer our passengers a better experience but also contribute to improving air quality in Bradford, Saltaire, Bingley and Keighley."

Rohard further highlighted,

"The success of this project is due to the significant support from the Government's ZEBRA fund and our introduction of 39 new electric buses in Harrogate and on routes serving Pateley Bridge, Wetherby, and Leeds. Transdev, the parent company of The Keighley Bus Company, is also making a direct investment of £4.4 million in these new buses for our Shuttle route between Bradford and Keighley, covering nearly 60% of their total cost. We expect these new buses to be in service by the end of next year."

He also noted the advantages of the latest battery technology, explaining,

"The higher power output from today's new generation batteries allows our buses to travel longer distances between charges, ensuring that we continue to provide our customers with the reliable and punctual service they rightfully expect from us."

This news has also been well-received by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, which secured a successful bid of £24 million from the Government to support West Yorkshire's three major bus operators, including Transdev, in the introduction of zero-emission electric buses.

Cllr Susan Hinchcliffe, Chair of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority Transport Committee, remarked,

"Bus travel is essential for people across West Yorkshire, but so is the need to protect our environment for future generations. Initiatives like this will play a part in building a modern, eco-friendly public transport network suitable for the 21st century. It will also help us address the climate emergency and work towards our goal of becoming a carbon net-zero region by 2038."

In the coming months, Transdev will collaborate with Mercedes-Benz engineers to ensure that their in-house engineering team at the Keighley depot, where the new buses will be stationed, receives the training and upskilling required to deliver top performance from these new all-electric buses.