First Bus to invest £35m to bring more eco-friendly buses to Glasgow

First Bus revealed it will invest £35m into new fully electric and zero-emission buses.

The investment will bring 50 new electric buses to First Bus’ Scotstoun depot by spring 2024.

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Half of the funding was awarded by Transport Scotland’s Scottish Zero Emission Bus (ScotZEB) Challenge, while the other half was committed by First.

Glasgow and Aberdeen are set to share the total amount. 

First Bus is adding 50 new eco-friendly buses to its Glasgow fleet

Duncan Cameron, Managing Director for First Bus Scotland, said, “Today marks another major milestone in our sustainable travel roadmap with the approval of funding from the Scottish Government allowing us to expand our electric bus infrastructure across the country.

“We are delighted to have been awarded this funding and we are proud to be continuing our journey towards achieving a 100% zero-emission fleet by 2035. 

“Scotstoun will become the second of our depots in Glasgow to start its journey towards a zero-emission fleet

“The depot will be future-proofed for further investment in zero-emissions vehicles as a result of the infrastructure work undertaken.

“This announcement will also see huge benefits for our customers as it allows First Bus to offer even greener and quieter bus travel to thousands of new customers across Greater Glasgow and Aberdeen.”

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This new investment will see First Glasgow adding to the 126 new electric buses that are currently being delivered to its Caledonia depot, taking the total number of First Bus electric vehicles operating in Glasgow city to 200. 

The Scotstoun depot is also set to receive significant investment to accelerate its electrification, helping First Bus achieve a zero-emission bus fleet by 2035. 

In 2020, First Bus also pledged not to purchase any new diesel buses after December 2022.