First fully electric bus depot opens in Essex

Isabel McAllister from First Bus, Conservative Essex county councillor Mark Platt, First Bus managing director Piers Marlow and Patrick Malone - from the Department for Transport - were at the unveiling earlier this month

The first fully electric bus depot in Essex has been unveiled.

The building in Cherrydown Way in Basildon was transformed thanks to £30.6m in funding and 55 zero tailpipe emission buses are on the road in south Essex.

First Bus said the project meant quieter journeys, improved air quality and a better experience for customers.

"We've delivered a once-in-a-generation investment," said Simon Mathieson, managing director of First Bus East of England

The firm has a fleet of 5,750 buses across the UK, and more than 1,500 of them are electric.

It aims to be made up entirely of electric vehicles by 2035.

Mark Platt, the deputy cabinet member for highways at Essex County Council, said the project showed what could be achieved at a local and national level.

The scheme was funded thanks to a £4.8m grant from the Department for Transport and a £25.8m investment from First Bus.

First Bus employees and politicians cut the ribbon on the building at a ceremony on 20 November.