FirstBus removes dozens of electric buses from roads after detecting ‘structural failure’
FirstBus
Some 30 buses have been affected
FirstBus Glasgow has removed dozens of electric buses from Scottish roads after detecting a “structural failure” in its fleet of new buses over the Christmas period.
The west coast operator says 30 buses are affected by the issue and bus manufacturer Alexander Dennis has been drafted in to get to the bottom of the problem.
It is understood that FirstBus Glasgow first detected the fault in mid-December, leading to a number of cancelled services over the busy Christmas period.
Replying to a request for comment from GB News, a spokesman for FirstBus said: “We can confirm we have identified a technical failure in 30 buses and all affected buses have been taken off service until it can be resolved.
“We are working closely with the manufacturer Alexander Dennis to resolve this issue as quickly as possible.
“To ensure minimal service disruption due to this temporary bus withdrawal, our team have worked incredibly hard to reallocate low emission zone compliant Euro VI buses from our fleet across the UK.”
Observant bus spotters caught a glimpse of several vehicles at the city’s Buchanan Bus Station hailing from Yorkshire and Leicester, while FirstBus says additional vehicles from Lanarkshire are on loan to fill the gaps in Glasgow bus timetables.
However, First Bus declined to expand on the “structural failure” definition, the circumstances surrounding the other 20 buses that complete the first delivery of 50 vehicles, or give any indication of when affected buses may resume service.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:The affected buses were part of 50 buses delivered by Alexander Dennis to the city’s Scotstoun depot in July 2023, featuring modern lithium-ion batteries that permit 370 miles of journey time after being left on charge for just three hours.
Those 50 buses were part of a larger order made by FirstBus Glasgow back in 2021, with the provider requesting delivery of 126 electric vehicles amounting to 91 double-decker buses and 35 coaches, partly funded by investment from the Scottish Government.
Concerns have now been raised that electric buses with lithium-ion batteries could become a frequent headache for Scottish commuters in the depths of winter.
Transport Minister Fiona Hyslop and First Bus Scotland MD Duncan Cameron at Scotstoun Depot
FIrstBus
Glasgow has experienced multiple spells of extreme cold weather already this winter and in mid-December it was reported that a number of Euro VI FirstBus vehicles ground to a halt with batteries draining faster than expected and commuters being left stranded or waiting for a replacement bus.
If the mercury falls to -7C, the range of bus batteries falls by 12 per cent, or 25 miles sooner than expected.
Euro VI buses relate to the sixth iteration of European standards for cleaner vehicles, limiting the level of pollutants in the atmosphere and were first introduced in Glasgow in 2020 ahead of the launch of Scotland’s first Low Emission Zone.