New £500k electric buses 'will improve city's air quality'

First Bus says the new buses offer a quieter and smoother ride

A city’s first fleet of electric double decker buses will offer "significant environmental benefits", transport bosses have said.

Seven zero-emission vehicles entered service in Norwich, Norfolk, on Monday with a range of up to 200 miles (322km) per charge.

The company First Bus said it was part of a £37m plan to have more than half of its buses in the city fully electric by 2024.

Road traffic has been identified as a major source of air pollution in Norwich, particularly around the Castle Meadow area of the city centre.

'Improve air quality'

Each double decker bus costs just under £500,000 each with a single decker costing £350,000 each.

Piers Marlow, managing director of First East of England, said: "These vehicles offer significant environmental benefits, saving around 75 tonnes of CO2 per vehicle per year when compared to a diesel, and will improve the air quality for the city's residents and visitors as they emit zero tailpipe emissions."

First Bus is replacing its 70 diesel buses at its Roundtree Way depot in Norwich, having been given £14.7m by the Department for Transport to fund the scheme.

The new buses, with a charge time of 2.5 hours, will serve customers on the Pink, Red, Orange and Blue lines around the city and were built by the UK-based firm Wrightbus.