Bus route forced to divert after bungling bosses introduced electric vehicles too tall to fit under bridge
The "e-buses" form part of a more than £100million-valued green transport push by First York
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Residents in York have been left fuming after new electric buses were found to be too tall to fit under a railway bridge.
Locals have been left unable to use their standard bus route after the oversight forced the city's number 10 service to be diverted from its standard journey along Leeman Road.
The "e-buses" form part of a more than £100million-valued green transport push by First York, a branch of First Bus - but despite being single-decker, the vehicles are still too tall to pass under the 12-foot (3.9metre) bridge.
First has labelled the buses "quiet, green and stylish" - but residents have lambasted why the vehicles' height wasn't considered when ordering the new fleet - while the situation has been labelled "farcical" by local officials.
A First Bus concept image of the buses, showing the single-decker model - which can't fit under the bridge
FIRST BUS
Kallum Taylor, a ward councillor for Holgate in the west of York, slammed the news, saying: "It's farcical that Leeman Road has lost another bus service.
"Not due to financial pressure, but because the single-deckers of First's new electric buses are too big to fit under a bridge."
Taylor added that the move, combined with previous service losses and a planned closure of Leeman Road, forms "a worrying pattern of reduction" in local transport options.
He criticised an apparent lack of consideration for residents, stating: "Cleaner buses are great, but it seems like, in the excitement this has caused those involved, this community has again been overlooked. It's nowhere near good enough."
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The multi-million-pound buses can't fit under this bridge
Taylor told the Mail: "That tunnel is well known as being a problem... A double-decker bus hit it a few years ago and the whole upper deck got torn off.
"I am not sure how First went about their decision... I do not know if they checked the height of the single deckers and thought it was worth the hit, and I do not know if they did not check and have now realised they have got a problem now they have the buses.
"If they did not check, then that is appalling - but if they did check and carried on anyway without getting a replacement bus service that is still bad."
First Bus said customers will have to wait for weeks for a resolution
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Locals joined in with voicing their frustrations online, with one writing on social media: "This should have been taken into consideration when the buses were ordered.
"They will have been aware of their height so either needed to find a lower version or considered using the old ones for the routes concerned."
Another resident said succinctly: "Didn't they think to measure it before making the buses? How stupid."
A First York spokesman said: "The changes we introduced in June included a re-route and extension of the 59 service and a new 10L to mitigate alteration to the 10 service in this area.
"This has brought more trips into the city centre but we accept that connectivity to Boroughbridge Road has been impacted as the 59 is a limited stop service.
"We are discussing options to resolve the 59 stopping situation with the transport team at City of York Council and expect to provide an update in the coming weeks."