Council / Electric buses to be trialled around Shetland
ELECTRIC buses are to be trialled by Shetland Islands Council to see how they work in local conditions.
Two battery-powered buses will be travelling throughout the isles, with the first – a 27-seater vehicle – arriving today (Tuesday).
A second bus will also arrive in early February for a four month trial, testing how they perform in Shetland weather and on its roads.
The trials will cost about £200,000 and are fully-funded by the UK Government’s Innovate UK fund, as part of the Rural Energy Hub project, the council said.
The trials will include journeys with and without passengers, but they will not be used for public services.
Information gathered from the trials will be analysed to see if electric buses are a viable alternative for public transport in Shetland.
Environment and transport committee chairwoman Moraig Lyall said these buses were already being used quite widely on the Scottish mainland.
“It’s important for us to see how these vehicles perform in our network compared to other places, how they stand up to Shetland weather, and what they deliver in terms mileage and performance,” she said.
“Part of these trials will be without passengers, but we intend to gather data and feedback on journeys with people onboard too.
“Having local bus drivers involved is key to this project and we hope this will give bus operators a chance to consider adding such vehicles in future.
“It’s great to have external funding to allow both the council and operators the opportunity to assess the viability of electric buses in our islands before any future decisions to adopt this technology.”
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