Five new Go-Ahead London Wrightbus Gemini 3 bodied-Volvo B5LH Euro 6 hybrids entered service on Saturday (August 22) on Transport for London (TfL) route 202.
39 of the news buses are going onto routes 202, 119 and 405, with the new vehicles being based at Go-Ahead’s Croydon depot. The remaining vehicles will be introduced slowly as Volvo’s driver training is completed.
The new vehicles are replacing MAN single-deckers on route 202 and Euro3 Scania OmniCitys on routes 119 and 405 to increase passenger capacity.
The first five buses went into service a week earlier than the contract start date of August 30 due to several of the MCV-bodied MAN single-decks being taken out of service for transfer from Croydon to Orpington depot to be prepared for further use in the training fleet.
Richard Harrington, Engineering Director at Go-Ahead London, told CBW: “It’s great to see TfL specifying hybrids on outer London routes. This gives those commuters who have yet to experience this technology the opportunity to ride on buses that have some of the cleanest emissions standards in service in the world.”
