The 25 new Gemini 3-bodied Volvos are beginning to enter service on route 22, and take the number of Euro 6 buses in the operator’s fleet to 92
Lothian Buses has launched a fleet of 25 Euro 6 Wrightbus Gemini 3-bodied Volvo double-deckers, worth £6m.
The vehicles will operate on route 22, which is one of the company’s busiest routes and runs through two air quality management areas, operating up to every six minutes. The custom-built specification for Lothian Buses features USB charging points, high-back seats, increased glazing for visibility and other bespoke features.
The vehicles are replacing a fleet of Euro 5 Volvo B9TLs, which will remain in service and be reallocated predominantly to the operator’s Marine Depot, allowing the release of 52-plate Dennis Tridents. A Lothian Buses spokeswoman told CBW that 10 of the new double-deckers were in service when this magazine went to press, with the remainder expected to be phased in over the coming weeks.
Route 22 connects the key retail centres of Ocean Terminal in Leith and the Gyle shopping centre in the west. It carried just under six million passengers in 2015.
The investment means that by the end of 2016, 471 Lothian Buses vehicles, or 66% of the company’s fleet, will be at Euro 5 emission standards or above. Including the new vehicles, it now has 92 Euro 6 buses.
Richard Hall, Managing Director, Lothian Buses said: “We are delighted to be welcoming these highly advanced vehicles to help improve the local environment and our customers’ journeys.
“While they are brilliant news for our passengers and drivers who will benefit from the interior and exterior enhancements, they will also make a tangible difference to air quality along the 22 route, benefiting everyone who lives, works or travels in the city.”
The delivery follows Lothian Buses awarding a four year framework agreement to Wrightbus for the supply of 316 vehicles from 2017-2020. The deal, which was announced at Euro Bus Expo 2016, includes a mixture of diesel, diesel hybrid and electric technologies.
