A new fleet of electric buses powered by pantographs are helping tackle air pollution in South East London.
On 20 November new tram-like buses were introduced on route 358, one of London’s longest bus routes, situated between Crystal Palace and Orphington.
The technology was initially introduced to London’s network in 2022 and was tested at Bexleyheath garage, and there are now more than 1,700 zero-emission buses operating in London.
Driver Isaac Nyarko-Bekoe, who was one of the first to take the wheel of the new buses, said: “The buses are smooth and easy to drive, especially thanks to the safety features, such as the sensors on each side of the vehicle.
“They also have camera monitoring instead of mirrors, which gives us improved direct and indirect vision of the road.”
The pantograph technology features arm-like structures attached to the top of the bus roof which charge new buses at each end of the 15-mile journey in as quickly as six minutes.
This means drivers do not need to return to garages to recharge buses.
Driver Teonia McDonell said: “There are families that said that they no longer drive.
“They now choose to get on the 358 because it’s electric, they’re not only more comfortable, they help the environment.
“Families would prefer to wait for zero-emissions buses because they are protecting the future for the next generation.”
“I feel so proud of myself because I’m a part of this, it feels like riding a bike and I love it so much.”
Nyarko-Bekoe stated the buses are smooth and quiet, reducing noise pollution in calmer neighbourhoods in London.
He said: “We go through some of the most quiet areas in Openton, Farnborough Village is one of them.
“Taking a diesel through that area early in the morning can be very noisy.
“But these buses are totally the opposite, very quiet and communities really appreciate that we can come through there and there’s no noise at all.”
With the addition of cameras, Nyarko-Bekoe further explained that buses are designed to increase safety for both the driver and the passengers.
He said: “It is safer for bus drivers, because there are no hidden spaces or places on the bus where a passenger can do them harm or treat them anyhow.”
London now has more than 1,700 zero-emission buses, making the city with the largest fleet of zero-emission buses in Western Europe.
Transport for London’s (TfL) director of buses Lorna Murphy explained that the buses were introduced to tackle the human and environmental dangers of air pollution, and address the climate emergency.
They reported that the buses have the capacity to reduce congestion in London, as they can carry 80 times the number of passengers as a car, in just three times the space.
Murphy said: “The harmful effects of toxic air pollution in the capital are known to contribute to thousands of premature deaths and serious health conditions.
“Londoners deserve to breathe clean air, and it is vital that we continue to deliver solutions to address this.”
Tom Joyner, managing director of Go-Ahead London said: “Go-Ahead London is leading the way in driving the transition to zero-emission buses.”
With the launch of the 358 route and the extension of pantograph technology, Go-Ahead Group, a subgroup of Go-Ahead London, will invest £500 million to introduce more electric buses, particularly in London, to address TfL’s net-zero targets 2024 to 2026.
McDonell added that she looks forward to seeing the buses introduced in other parts of London.
She said: “We have seen other bus drivers come up to us to find out if they can, have a look and see what it is like and you can see the enthusiasm on their face.”
TfL will continue to examine the performance of these new buses on route 358 before making any decisions on introducing them further on the network.
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