The electric demonstrator bus will be in the city until this Friday (7 June)

Have your say on Salisbury’s forthcoming fleet of electric buses

Tait ap EllisJune 3, 20240 Comment0

SALISBURY residents and visitors are being given a chance to glimpse into the future as an electric demonstrator bus is now temporarily operating throughout the city.

Users of the Salisbury Reds limited service are being asked to complete a short survey detailing their views on the new electric bus and how it compares to the current diesel buses.

The electric demonstrator bus is operating throughout the city until this Friday (7 June).

This comes ahead of plans to bring 23 zero emissions electric buses to the streets of Salisbury which will come into service in 2026 and will run on major city routes and surrounding areas, including services to and from Stonehenge and the city’s Park and Ride sites.

Salisbury Reds say: “We will be researching the best electric buses to invest in, so we currently have this demonstrator to monitor and assess. The Volvo BZL has now entered service on our city network and it will be with us until Friday 7 June.

“We are asking our customers for feedback, including how they compare to our existing diesel buses, whether they like the interior layouts, how they feel about the noise of the buses, and whether they are likely to travel more or less on the new electric buses.

“This is an excellent opportunity for our drivers and customers to see what’s in store when our new fleet arrives.

“If you’d like to provide your feedback, we’d love to hear from you via our short online survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/reds_electric”

The move follows Salisbury Reds’ and Wiltshire Council’s successful bid for funding from the Department of Transport’s latest ZEBRA (Zero Emission Bus Regional Area) scheme.

The funding, combined with additional investment from Salisbury Reds and Wiltshire Council, means a total of £11.4m will be used to revolutionise the city network.