Construction on the Castle Street facility has now begun, expanding provision ahead of new vehicles rolling out.
The £15million project will see significantly expanded capacity for the authority’s increasing fleet of plug-in buses. Currently, just three electric park and ride vehicles are in operation, but a new fleet is incoming.
Delivered in partnership with Wiltshire Council, with additional funding from the UK Government’s Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas Scheme [ZEBRA], th Salisbury Reds bus company has appointed EO Charging to install a total of 12 new charge points. Work is expected to complete in autumn, when commuters will see the new electric vehicles making journeys city, X4 and Stonehenge Tour routes.
‘This is a momentous moment for the city – cementing our mission to put the region right at the forefront of sustainable transport,’ said Ben Murray, Salisbury Reds Managing Director. ‘The time of arrival for the new electric buses is fast-approaching, and our whole team is excited to begin welcoming passengers on board them early next year.’
‘These infrastructure upgrades at the depot are essential to support the new fleet of 23 electric buses for the city, marking a major step forward for both Salisbury and Wiltshire as a whole,’ said Cllr Martin Smith, cabinet member for Highways, Streetscene and Flooding at Wiltshire Council. ‘When they enter service in 2026, the new buses will reduce carbon emissions and improve air quality in Salisbury, saving more than 1,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions each year of operation.
‘There are significant financial benefits too, as each electric bus costs around a quarter of the cost of a diesel bus to run – so these new buses will save both time and money and reduce carbon emissions,’ Smith continued. ‘Once this work at the depot has been completed, we can look forward to the new fleet arriving in the city, delivering cleaner, greener, bus travel for both residents and visitors to Salisbury.’
Image: Abey Koshy / Unsplash
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