Press Releases
50 items found, showing page 2 of 5
First Bus announces investment in solar power across 20 UK sites as part of net zero-emission strategy
- First Bus invests £2.5m in solar power across 20 of its UK depots.
- Over 6,000 Solar Photo Voltaic (PV) panels will be in place by mid-June.
- The panels will generate more than 2 million kWh per year - enough to power 700 family homes.
- This investment will help First Bus to become net zero and self-sustaining with on-site energy generation.
First Bus purchase new site to create new ‘super bus depot’ in Portsmouth
- First Bus have purchased the old Daily Mail processing centre in Portsmouth.
- The new site will become a purpose built all-electric site fit to host their new electric bus fleet of the future.
- The new depot will take up to 2-3 years to build and represents a significant investment and future commitment to bus services in Portsmouth.
- First Bus will be launching 62 brand-new all-electric buses from April 2024 from its existing Hoeford depot site.
‘Bus depot of the future’ launches in Leicester as one of the UK’s first fully electric depots outside of London
- First Bus’ Leicester depot will join York and Norwich to become one of the UK’s first three fully electrified bus depots outside of London
- The ‘bus depot of the future’ sets a precedent for UK-wide road transport decarbonisation
- First Bus Leicester will have 86 new electric buses expected on public roads by March 2024
- This brings the total investment across all ZEBRA projects that First Bus is delivering to £92m, alongside ZEBRA funding of £66m.
UK’s first autonomous zero-emission bus service begins in Oxfordshire
- Operating at Milton Park business, science and technology park in Oxfordshire
- Electric 15-seater autonomous bus accessible to wheelchairs and pushchairs
- Ground-breaking technology in vehicle movement and world-first travel planning
York and Norwich set to become first all-electric bus depots outside of London after boosted ZEBRA funding
- York and Norwich set to become the UK’s first bus depots outside of London to run fully electric fleets
- Four First Bus depots benefit from boosted joint investment in electric fleet
- First Bus to reach a total of over 600 zero emission buses across the UK by March 2024
First Bus welcomes extension to UK Government support for Bus services across England
- Bus fare cap to be extended for three months, backed by up to £75 million to help passengers save money and Get Around for £2
- Government also confirms up to £80 million to continue support for critical bus services around England
- Over 5 million passengers have utilised the £2 fare scheme on First Bus services since January 2023
First Bus appoint new Head of Operational Excellence
- Appointment to new role as Head of Operational Excellence
- New hire will collaborate with LBUs and Head of Engineering Excellence with purpose of improving customer experience
FirstGroup plc reaches agreement to acquire Essex-based Ensign Bus Company
- Agreement to purchase Ensign Bus Company Limited (‘Ensignbus’)
- Ensignbus is a high-performing business with strong positions in business-to-business (‘B2B’) and regional commercial bus operations in Essex, as well as a vehicle refurbishment and re-sale operation, alongside a high value depot.
- Completion of the acquisition is anticipated in the next few months subject to customary regulatory review.
First Bus and Reaseheath College host Roads Minister at UK's first dedicated bus and coach industry training academy ahead of National Apprenticeship Week
- First Bus and Reaseheath College have teamed up to create a dedicated apprentice training academy to create engineers of the future for the bus industry
- State-of-the-art facility that recreates a bus depot environment for apprentices as part of industry leading 12-week training programme
- Facility that opened in 2021 is now starting to bear fruit as first cohort of apprentice progresses through the programme
First Bus and partners welcome Roads Minister to launch UK's first all-electric autonomous bus service at Milton Park
- UK’s first zero emission autonomous bus service to operate at Milton Park business, science and technology park in Oxfordshire
- Project to launch two zero emission single-decker autonomous buses which are fully accessible to wheelchair users and prams
- Ground-breaking technology in vehicle movement and travel planning
- The buses will have a safety driver on board at all times during operation and have completed its first test passenger journeys over the past two weeks
Millions encouraged to Get Around For £2 by bus
- Millions of people across England will be able to travel by bus for £2 from 1 January to 31 March, thanks to £60 million in Government funding to cap single tickets
- People can save almost a third of the average £2.80 bus fare, while in some rural areas tickets can reach over £10 for a single journey
- Over 130 operators who run routes outside London will be part of the scheme, taking an estimated two million cars off the road and reducing emissions
