TfL introduces over 80 new zero-emission buses in Sutton
Transport for London (TfL) has enhanced bus services to deliver an extra one million bus kilometres in outer London every year. TfL is also delivering a further boost to its zero emission bus fleet, with more than 80 zero emission buses introduced in the south London borough of Sutton.
TfL stresses that “The introduction of the new buses follows the recent milestone of more than 1,000 zero emission buses operating across the capital, now taking the total to over 1,100 zero emission buses and putting TfL on track to transition to a fully zero emission bus fleet by 2034, a target which could be achieved by 2030 with continued Government investment. TfL will save an estimated 4.8m tonnes of carbon by 2034 or an estimated 5.5m tonnes of carbon by 2030 with Government funding”.
Since 2021, all new buses joining TfL’s contracted fleet have been zero emission.
80 new zero-emission buses for Sutton, London
Deputy Mayor for Transport, Seb Dance, announced that more than 80 new zero emission electric buses have taken to the streets of Sutton this summer, bringing the total operating in the area to nearly 100. TfL has introduced the new buses in the borough on routes 93, 154, 164, 213 and 80, joining the zero emission buses already operating on Route 413.
This significant addition to Sutton’s fleet means that “over half of the journeys undertaken by bus in Sutton will be in a zero emission bus, with more zero emission buses set to join the borough’s fleet in spring next year. The borough is also set to benefit from improvements to bus services, providing new or better connections across the borough and between town centres and hospitals, adding over 400,000 bus kilometres to the area’s network”, TfL adds.
Sutton’s new zero emission buses will be equipped with a range of new features. Passengers will benefit from larger wheelchair and buggy areas, panoramic roofing on the upper deck, USB phone charging ports and new LED display screens on the lower and upper deck. As well as the new buses, from early next year Sutton will see extensions to existing routes and the creation of a brand new service, S2. These updates to the borough’s bus network part of the additional 400,000km per annum of bus services in Sutton.
TfL, the Superloop to enhance service quality
The Superloop is a key part of the Mayor’s £6m investment to improve the bus network in outer London. The Superloop is a proposed network of limited-stop express bus routes that circle the entire capital, connecting transport links, town centres and hospitals, and could add over 4 million bus kilometres operated in outer London. On 19 August, route X26, which runs between West Croydon bus station and Heathrow Central Bus Station, was renumbered and rebranded to route SL7, to offer customers an instantly recognisable express bus service between west and south London, and has now doubled in frequency, from a bus every 30 minutes to one bus every 15 minutes The SL7 is the third bus route to become part of the Superloop express bus network.
Louise Cheeseman, Director of Buses at TfL, said: “We’re very pleased to add more than 80 new zero emission buses to our fleet in Sutton. Buses remain the quickest, easiest, and cheapest way to shift trips made by cars to public transport. Thanks to the introduction of these new vehicles, half of the bus journeys undertaken in the borough will be zero emission, helping to improve the air quality for those who work and live in the area, or who travel to Sutton to visit its leading cancer treatment and research facilities.”
