A local bus route in Merton could be run with electric double-decker buses, says TfL.
Route 200, which runs from Mitcham to Raynes Park, is operated by Go Ahead London from their Merton garage. Merton is the depot for around 200 buses and 11 routes.
In recent years, it’s become more apparent that emissions from vehicles cause unnecessary climate change, which is warming our earth, which in itself causes a world of problems, such as flooding, melting of polar ice caps, and poor crop yields.
In effect, bus companies such as Go-Ahead London are making a move towards electric and hybrid vehicles and what can be done to help implement them by 2040, when all vehicles in the UK must be electric or hybrid. In the process, many manufacturers have been put to the test, with safety and efficiency being a key factor in the decision.
The vehicles, made by Yorkshire vehicle manufacturer, Optare, increase the current seating capacity on the vehicles by 133%, and transform the route from a single decker diesel route to a double-decker electric route. This is a first of a kind for South West London.
Unlike the current fleet of vehicles, the new buses will have USB charging and will have air conditioning. The electric vehicles are carbon neutral and produce no greenhouse emissions.
The buses are set to put in service in Q1 of 2021, and should bring a fresh new look to Merton’s roads.
