Harrogate bus boss says town is to get the 'most modern and passenger oriented network in Britain'

The comments by Transdev’s Managing Director Henri Rohard followed a visit in person to Harrogate Bus Company’s depot in Starbeck by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

Accompanied by Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones, the PM spoke with engineering apprentices and trainee bus drivers setting out on their careers with the bus firm before a briefing on the electrification project with the company’s leadership team during a tour of the depot’s facilities.

The firm, which is a subsidiary of Transdev, placed orders in Autumn 2023 worth £21 million for 39 new electric buses and re-equip its Starbeck depot to convert its entire Harrogate fleet to fully electric power.

The orders are supported by £7.8 million of funding from the Government’s Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA) scheme, following a successful bid by Transdev’s partner, North Yorkshire Council.

Mr Rohard said: “The Prime Minister was very impressed by the progress made towards our first fully electric depot.

“Our electrification project has been made possible thanks to significant support from the Government’s ZEBRA fund, and Mr Sunak was keen to see and hear how that investment will help us to deliver a revolution in the quality and sustainability of public transport in Harrogate and North Yorkshire.

“In combination with our existing eight Harrogate Electrics-branded Volvo 7900E electric buses, the first of their kind in Britain, 47 fully-electric vehicles will be in service when our project is complete by this summer.

"All our bus fleet will be renewed, giving The Harrogate Bus Company the most modern and passenger-oriented network in Britain.”

In total, 20 new Mercedes-Benz E-Citaro all-electric single deck buses will be used on The Harrogate Bus Company’s route one between Harrogate and Knaresborough, route seven linking Harrogate, Wetherby and Leeds, and rural route 24 between Harrogate and Pateley Bridge.

A further 19 new Alexander Dennis Enviro 400EV fully-electric double deck buses will relaunch the company’s flagship 36 route, linking Ripon, Harrogate and Leeds.

During his visit, the Prime Minister was also shown the bus operator’s industry-leading training centre, The Academy.

Full details of all Harrogate Bus Company services are available at: https://www.transdevbus.co.uk/harrogate/ or via its free Transdev Go mobile app.