Reading Buses will attempt a new land speed record for a service bus.
The operator announced its intentions at Brooklands Museum, home of British land speed records, and will use a Biomethane Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Scania bus which was on display.
The company has announced that the bid to have the fastest bus in the world will take place on a banked circular track at Millbrook, just outside Bedford, on May 19. At the same time as the compressed natural gas bus attempts the speed record, it is planned to issue the fastest ever onboard ticket using the Ticketer system.
Reading Buses Marketing and Communications Manager, Jake Osman, said: “We thank Brooklands Museum for hosting this event. It’s a perfect marriage of speed and buses given the history of the place.
“We are looking forward to being the bus company with the fastest bus in the world. We will take a hand-picked driver with the right experience in buses and motorsport, and we will be looking to push the bus to its limits.
“On the day of the attempt, we are aiming for a speed of at least 80mph, which is around 50% faster than the normal 55mph that the bus is limited to.
“The bus, which is normally driven in service, has no major body or engine modifications other than slight tweaks and some high speed tyres. Once the day is over, the tweaks will be put back and it will go back into service.
“We also want to increase awareness of CNG buses and biomethane as a viable fuel. We have invested heavily in this greener technology and foresee biomethane and CNG becoming the fuel of choice for many more operators. We have two compressors at our depot and are able to fill other gas vehicles such as taxis, trucks and our own gas powered engineering van.”
