South Yorkshire’s new fleet of electric buses has encountered a setback, as revealed in a recent report. The £15 million initiative, which introduced 23 zero-emission buses to the region, aims to tackle traffic congestion and enhance air quality.
However, according to minutes from a July meeting of the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) enhanced partnership board, the project has faced significant delays. The report indicates that only seven of the electric buses were operational daily as of July. Due to these delays, the bus chargers have been temporarily powered by a diesel generator for a period of six weeks.
Stagecoach, the company managing the bus service, has expressed frustration with Northern Powergrid over the delay issues. The meeting minutes note: “Despite the buses being ready in April and infrastructure being installed by the end of the month, Northern Powergrid’s delays have obstructed progress. Currently, only seven out of the 20 electric buses are in daily service. Although fast chargers are installed, a diesel generator will be in use for the next six weeks.”
Despite the challenges, the initiative has achieved notable milestones, including a reduction of 27 tonnes of carbon emissions and a 3.8 percent year-on-year growth in service.
Additionally, a new substation near Rotherham Interchange was approved earlier this year to address the inadequate power supply for the bus chargers, which has been a contributing factor to the delays.
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