City Sightseeing Glasgow has announced it will launch a full fleet of brand new electric open top buses, built by Wrightbus in Ballymena, making it one of the world’s greenest tours.
The Glasgow tour company is part of the City Sightseeing Worldwide franchise, which delivers open top tours globally, including Belfast.
In Glasgow, the tour serves attractions such as Glasgow Cathedral, Glasgow Green, Clydeside Distillery, Riverside Museum, Glasgow University, The Hunterian and Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum.
The ten vehicles represent a £4,500,000 investment and includes funding from the Scottish Government’s Scottish Zero Emission Bus (ScotZEB) Challenge Fund, and will see Glasgow become the first ever City Sightseeing operator in the world to operate a full fleet of electric vehicles.
The electric buses, known as StreetDeck Electroliner, are currently being built in Ballymena, by bus manufacturer Wrightbus.
Sharon Morrison, Communications Director at City Sightseeing Glasgow, said:
“We are excited to be introducing a full electric fleet to our open top tour in Glasgow. It’s great for the city’s green credentials and reinforces our commitment to meeting Scotland’s climate change goals.
“Whilst we already offer one of the most sustainable ways for visitors to enjoy the best of Glasgow, the move to full electric means we can showcase our city’s wealth of cultural heritage, and of-course its dear green spaces, with zero environmental impact on our city, its residents and visitors.
“As well as the environmental benefits of operating an electric fleet, the buses will offer an improved customer experience, with a much smoother and quieter journey for those enjoying Glasgow’s story.”
Tom Greenshields, Head of Business Development at Wrightbus, said:
“We are absolutely delighted to be supporting the city of Glasgow’s sustainability mission with our StreetDeck Electroliner Open Top buses. This 10-bus order will be one of the first City Sightseeing fleet in the world to be fully electric, which demonstrates Glasgow’s commitment to helping to reduce emissions.
“We feel proud to be working alongside City Sightseeing Glasgow and West Coast Motors, who operate the city’s Sightseeing buses, as their objectives very clearly align with ours to help play a part in the UK’s decarbonisation ambitions.”
The vehicles are expected to be travelling Glasgow city streets from the summer of 2023.