Number of electric buses in London to treble next year
Two of London's busiest bus routes are set to be served entirely by electric buses from next year, which will more than treble the number of electric buses in the nation's capital. The 507 and 521 routes which link Victoria, Waterloo and London Bridge, will be run by 51 electric buses next year, adding to the 22 electric buses already planned to be on London's streets by October this year. Furthermore, by 2020, Transport for London hopes to have 300 pure electric single-deck buses, and 3,000 hybrid double-decker buses serving central London.
T wo busy London bus routes will be served entirely by electric vehicles from next year, more than trebling the number of zero-emission buses on the capital's roads.

The 507 and 521 routes, which link Waterloo to Victoria and London Bridge, will be run by 51 electric vehicles from autumn 2016, adding to the 22 zero-emission buses due to be on London's streets by October this year.

TfL's announcement comes as a King's College report reveals nearly 10,000 Londoners are dying prematurely each year because of filthy air.

By 2020, the transport authority hopes to have 300 pure electric single-deck buses and 3,000 hybrid double deckers serving central London.

The city's first pure electric double-decker bus, which can carry 81 passengers and has a battery range of 162 miles, will be among the new vehicles rolled out later this year, joining the nine all-electric single decker buses in service around the capital.

Deputy Mayor of London for Environment and Energy Matthew Pencharz said today: "The expansion of London's electric bus fleet demonstrates our commitment to reducing emissions from public transport in London.

"The Ultra Low Emission Zone that will be introduced in 2020 is the most ambitious measure of its kind taken to tackle air pollution anywhere in the world, and it will transform our bus fleet into a cleaner, greener and more pleasant way of travelling for Londoners."

Mike Weston, TfL's director of buses, said: "I am delighted to announce that two further routes are to convert to fully electric operation - giving our passengers a quieter, smoother journey and also delivering significant environmental benefits.

"Electric buses represent another important step in our ongoing efforts to reduce emissions, significantly improving air quality in the capital."

Today's air quality report said the worst-affected boroughs - among them Barnet, Bromley, Croydon and Ealing - were seeing 200 people die each year because of NO2 pollution.

The Mayor of London has now urged the government and the European Commission to do more on cleaning up London’s air, warning a third runway at Heathrow is "inconceivable" if the government is to meet EU legal limits on pollution.

Londoners currently breathe in up to three and a half times the EU limit of NO2.

A Freedom of Information request revealed in March that all 50 of Britain's pollution hotspots are in London - with the Marylebone Road the worst overall. At its junction with Glentworth Street, 132 micrograms of NO2 per cubic metre were recorded, smashing the EU cap of 40.