York area bus operator First Bus has announced its depot in James Street is now certified for its ‘net-zero’ emissions.

The announcement follows the bus operator fully electrifying its fleet of buses, making it among the first in the country to achieve this milestone.

In addition to buying its fleet of 86 zero-emission buses at the York depot, the company has also been undertaking other measures, also making the depot one of the first nationally to be rated net zero.

Earlier this summer, it removed a ten-tonne fuel tank, which held 44,000 litres of diesel for its surviving stock of diesel-powered vehicles.

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FirstBus has achieved Net Zero status by reducing tailpipe emissions by more than 90 per cent and offsetting the remainder using verified carbon removal projects.

Andrew Cullen, Managing Director of First Bus North & West Yorkshire, said: “Today, we’re making history with our depot as we continue to lead in greener public transport.

“This major achievement is the result of great work by the local team and expertise from within the wider First Bus. It places the depot at the forefront of the First Bus mission to reach a zero emission UK bus fleet by 2035.”

The announcement was made at the official launch of the electrification of the depot, completed earlier this year in a £23m transformation.

This was achieved with £13m investment by First Bus and funding of £10.2m secured in partnership with City of York Council from the Department for Transport’s Zebra funding scheme.

Cllr Kate Ravilious, Executive Member for Transport at City of York Council, said; “This new depot and the full electrification of the First Bus fleet is a major step towards the city’s climate ambitions, and supports the delivery of our new Local Transport Strategy.

“Together with City of York’s reduced fares for families and young people, plus installation of brand new, real-time display screens, travelling by bus really is a healthier, more convenient choice in York.”

Andrew Cullen added: “It is real evidence of our continuing successful partnership with City of York Council in bringing major improvements to bus services and supporting a shared ambition for a net-zero transport system and reducing carbon emissions in the city.”

Features which have helped the depot achieve its net zero emission status include solar panels on the roof of the engineering bay, which have been generating renewable power for over a year. The company also buys only certified renewable energy,

Furthermore, the bus wash uses 97 per cent recycled water and as mentioned earlier, in June, the diesel fuel tank was removed forever, making it the only bus depot in Yorkshire to use only electric charging, First Bus also reported.