Bus operator completes low-emission drive in time for Clean Air Day

The Harrogate Bus Company is celebrating Clean Air Day today [Thursday, June 17] with the news that it has completed its mission to meet the UK’s toughest emission standards.
An all-electric, zero-emission Harrogate Electrics bus on The 36 service in Harrogate. As the UK marks Clean Air Day, The Harrogate Bus Company is fitting exhaust treatment equipment to existing buses and investing in new vehicles which are already fully compliant.An all-electric, zero-emission Harrogate Electrics bus on The 36 service in Harrogate. As the UK marks Clean Air Day, The Harrogate Bus Company is fitting exhaust treatment equipment to existing buses and investing in new vehicles which are already fully compliant.
An all-electric, zero-emission Harrogate Electrics bus on The 36 service in Harrogate. As the UK marks Clean Air Day, The Harrogate Bus Company is fitting exhaust treatment equipment to existing buses and investing in new vehicles which are already fully compliant.

The firm, whose buses serve people and communities across Harrogate district and beyond into West Yorkshire, now operates a fleet of vehicles on its regular daily bus services which are fully compliant with the strictest Euro 6 low-emission standards.

Alex Hornby, CEO of The Harrogate Bus Company, said: “We are proud to be playing our part towards protecting the environment through our continuing commitment to low-emission vehicles – at the same time as we continue investing in high-specification buses that our customers are proud to be seen on.

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“As we continue rebuilding our regional economy beyond the pandemic, we can’t just go back to congested streets and traffic jams. Getting back to the bus will help us to tackle congestion and pollution in our town and city centres – especially in Harrogate, where all our regular diesel-powered buses are 100 per cent compliant with Euro 6 low emission standards.

“We also work closely in partnership with local, regional and national authorities, and share our expertise in electric bus operation and emission-reducing technology with other bus operators. The West Yorkshire Bus Alliance has a target to upgrade all buses to Euro 6 standard or better in the next five years – and together, we bid successfully to the Government’s Clean Bus Technology Fund to support our £8.036 million, five-year programme to make it happen.”

Parent firm Transdev’s programme to make The Harrogate Bus Company’s regular bus fleet fully compliant with low-emission standards received financial support from regional and local authorities, including £833,000 from the West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA), and £136,000 from Leeds City Council.

Meanwhile, Transdev is currently working with local authority partners on joint bids for grant funding to introduce more fully electric, zero-emission vehicles, following the success of its ground-breaking Harrogate Electrics buses.

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Several UK cities are planning to introduce Clean Air Zone (CAZ) regulations in urban areas, with penalties for vehicles which fail to meet Euro 6 low-emission standards.

Proposals for a Clean Air Zone in Leeds were withdrawn last October, as pollution levels improved much faster than expected after bus operators, including Transdev, invested in new and updated low-emission technology.