The 300th hybrid bus is now in service on route 211 between Waterloo and Hammersmith. A further 104 hybrid buses are on order using £5 million (US$7.8 million) funding from the Department for Transport.

This grant was initially set to finance 70 buses, but Transport for London has managed, through good negotiation and increased market confidence in hybrid buses, to increase this order so that, in total, more than 400 of these less polluting vehicles will be in service by next year.

In addition the Mayor of London has committed to taking delivery of 600 of the new bus for London vehicles (earlier post), seven of which are already in service on Route 38.

Combined, this means at least 1,000 hybrid buses will be on the Capital’s streets by 2016 joined by nearly 1,000 buses fitted with equipment to cut pollution, specifically NO_x.

Hybrid technology was first trialled by TfL in 2006. Since then the diesel-electric hybrid fleet has doubled year-on-year reflecting greater confidence with operating hybrid technology and fuel savings and operational performance.

The diesel-electric hybrid buses deliver fuel savings of 30% reducing operational costs for TfL but also a 20% reduction in NO_x delivering environmental benefits for Londoners.