Steve Hunter, Deputy Director-Transport & Infrastructure, Warrington Borough Council, UK delivered a presentation at the Global Mass Transit’s conference on Clean Buses in Europe held on June 5-6, 2024 at Novotel Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, Netherlands and discussed Warrington Borough Council’s experience on transition to zero emission buses. This interview highlights the key challenges and opportunities faced by Warrington in adopting zero emission buses, their alignment with national policies, and the future plans for expanding their fleet. It also provides insights from industry experts on the broader context of zero emission buses in the UK and Scotland.
- Can you describe Warrington Borough Council’s approach to integrating zero emission buses into the local public transport network?
The 105 electric buses are a full fleet replacement for Warrington’s Own Buses which is a council owned bus company operating 85% of all services in Warrington. They are entering service replacing the current diesel buses between July and December this year. So they will be fully integrated from day 1 with the bus company selling off the old diesel buses.
- What unique challenges has Warrington faced in adopting zero emission buses, and how has the council addressed these issues?
The ability to be able to find the purchase – £30m of the £50m came from the council borrowing the money and getting it back with more passengers and lower running costs leading to increased dividends paid to the council by its own bus company. The challenge is the council won’t get all the money back and it is doing it based on improved air quality and health benefits and reduced congestion from more shift from the car to bus.
- How does Warrington’s strategy for zero emission buses align with national policies and targets for reducing emissions?
The strategy aligns very closely with national transport policies to make all buses and vehicles zero emission as early as possible.
- What are the next steps for Warrington Borough Council in expanding its zero emission bus fleet?
We will be working with our other bus operators who run the other 15% of our services and our neighbouring councils in Liverpool and Manchester to get the tensing 15% converted to zero emission as quickly as possible.
- How has working on zero emission bus projects impacted your perspective on urban transportation and sustainability?
It has emphasised to me that you need to not just change the vehicles to new zero emission bus services you get more passengers from reducing fares and increasing services and more bus priority and improved bus stops and real time information all happening together.
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