First EV bus for Cornwall to cut carbon emissions

The first EV bus in Cornwall is launched as a shuttle service for Falmouth

The first electric bus for Cornwall has been launched in Falmouth as part of a shuttle service that will serve the town centre and cut carbon emissions.

Cornwall Council has spent £2.1m and the Government's Zero Emission Bus Regional Area 2 (ZEBRA) has contributed £1.3m to fund the scheme.

The scheme will also pay for a complete new fleet of the Park and Ride bus service in Truro which is arriving in October.

Six electric buses are also being introduced on the Rame Peninsula in the coming weeks, part of a wider £10.3m ZEBRA 2 funding, £1.9m investment from Cornwall and Plymouth councils and £19.6m from Plymouth Citybus.

Bus passenger Sarah Newstead said the new EV bus was very quiet and very smooth

The first passengers on the new Falmouth service were Sarah and Paul Newstead who had just started using their new free bus passes.

Mrs Newstead said "Seems fine, smooth journey, it's very quiet."

Her husband Paul said "Yes, it's good that it's not pumping out any emissions around the town."

Passenger Fiona Wellington said she had just started using the bus because she was finding it difficult to walk.

She exclaimed "This is the first electric bus. Rock and roll."

Ziggy was the first dog on the new electric service with his owner Michael Moore.

"It's quieter, moving the right way forward with less emissions. It's a better thing long term," said Mr Moore.

Councillor Dan Rogerson is the cabinet member for Transport on Cornwall Council

Also on the bus was Dan Rogerson, cabinet member for transport at Cornwall Council.

"Our buses rack up the miles over the years, with almost a quarter of Cornwall's carbon emissions coming from road transport.

"We want to reduce our impact on our environment wherever we can.

"Falmouth's bus is just the start, and work is progressing on putting in the infrastructure to run services in the Rame Peninsula and Truro city centre.

"It's a step in the right direction and we'll be looking for further funding opportunities to bring more electric buses to Cornwall," he said.

The new electric bus in Falmouth is the 60 service which runs through the pedestrian part of the town.

The proximity to shoppers and open shop fronts will make a difference both with noise and air quality.

The bus operator Office and Transport Services (OTS) has contributed £105,000 towards the 18-seater service and Falmouth Town Council has funded £5,000.

Craig George, from OTS, said: "As a Falmouth-based business, we've wanted for so long to bring a zero emission vehicle to the streets of our town.

"It has been a really positive experience to work with Cornwall Council, Falmouth Town Council and the Department for Transport who proactively share our vision to deliver cleaner buses for the benefit of all in our local community.

"To deliver the first vehicle in service to come from this larger partnership project is simply the icing on the cake, and we're very proud to be leading the charge towards the future of bus travel."

The bus is charged up overnight at the OTS depot to enable it to run 27 round trips through Falmouth and a school service, all from 0715 BST to 18.15 BST with 25% battery left at the end of the day.