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19
Nov
Electric bus breaks down in Harrogate — on day new fleet unveiled
An electric bus belonging to the Harrogate Bus Company broke down yesterday (November 18) on the day the company's first fully electric buses started running.
A recovery vehicle had to tow the vehicle away from Cheltenham Parade, yards from Harrogate Bus Station, during the afternoon.
The company, which is owned by French form Transdev, said the stricken vehicle was part of its 2018 fleet rather than one of its latest models.
The Stray Ferret asked Transdev what the issue was, if passengers were affected and if the problem has now been rectified.
A spokesperson at The Harrogate Bus Company said:
We apologise to anyone affected by an issue with one of our buses yesterday. All customers were transferred onto the next bus and the fault has since been rectified.
The company declined to give any further details — including the cause of the fault.
Route 1 first to get new buses
The first of the £9 million, 20-strong fleet of Mercedes-Benz eCitaro fully electric single deck buses are now in service on route 1, linking Harrogate and Knaresborough up to every eight minutes.
The bus operator has re-equipped its Starbeck depot to provide electric charging and maintenance services and additional top-up charging facilities are also in place at Harrogate Bus Station.
The new electric single deck buses will also progressively replace existing diesel-powered vehicles on route 7 linking Harrogate, Wetherby and Leeds, and rural route 24 between Harrogate and Pateley Bridge, as the remainder of the new fleet enters service.
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