A NEW fleet of electric, double decker buses is set to arrive in York this year.

City of York Council and First York announced on Monday that the city would "soon be home to one of the biggest fleets of double deck electric buses outside of London", from October 2019.

Twenty-one new, zero-emission and fully electric vehicles, each capable of carrying 99 passengers and with a range of more than 150 miles on one charge, have been ordered with funding also coming from the Office for Low Emission Vehicles.

A dozen single-deck Optare buses have been operating from two of six Park & Ride services for five years, and the new fleet is set to help combat air pollution in York, with each bus potentially taking "up to 75 cars off the congested streets".

Councillor Andrew Waller, Executive member for the environment, said: "We’re committed to tackling congestion and reducing air pollution in the city, and these new zero-emission, electric buses will play a key role in helping us to achieve these objectives by taking more cars off the road and making Park & Ride a truly sustainable form of transport."

Marc Bichtemann, managing director of First York, said: "We’re proud to be the operator of one of the biggest fleets of double deck electric buses outside of London, as we continue to work with City of York Council to improve air quality in York.

"Today’s announcement showcases the benefits of partnership working in practice and we remain committed to investing in our bus services in York, as we share the same vision. By working together, local authorities and bus operators can make a real impact on congestion and air quality, provide better services for our customers, support local economies more effectively and, ultimately, help to increase passenger numbers."

Robert Drewery, Optare’s commercial director, said: "In 2014, our electric single deck Versas began operation on the city’s Park & Ride service. We have built on five years of valuable EV experience in York to develop our product range. In 2017, Optare partnered with First and City of York Council in launching our prototype electric double deck into service.

"The lessons learned during the trial have been fundamental in shaping the design of the Metrodecker EV, the world’s first truly zero emissions double deck bus. Optare is particularly proud that our vehicle, designed and manufactured in Yorkshire, will be at the centre of continued air quality improvements in York."