Six new electric buses are set to hit the road in Kirkcaldy

Stagecoach East Scotland marked the introduction of the fleet with a VIP journey round the Lang Toun.

The new, zero-emission electric minibuses come after a £2.1 million investment in Fife, with £680,000 of that provided by the Scottish Government’s ScotZEB funding. The buses will operate across Glenrothes and Kirkcaldy, giving passengers a greener, cleaner and quieter journey - and boosting the Stagecoach East Scotland electric fleet to 41 vehicles.

Dignitaries on board the first journey included Melanie Ward MP for Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy, and Claire Baker MSP, along with Councillor Ian Cameron, convenor of Kirkcaldy area committee, Councillor Rod Kavanagh, plus representatives from the bus company, Fife Chamber of Commerce, Love Our Lang Toun, and local media. David Torrance MSP was also in attendance as the buses were unveiled at Kirkcaldy Galleries.

They enjoyed a tour of the Lang Toun in the new Alexander Dennis Enviro100 EV bus.

The new fleet will be based at the depot in Glenrothes where they will be charged overnight before heading in Kirkcaldy, returning to be re-charged after a full day in operation. The buses are much quieter and smoother, and now have USB ports for passengers while drivers have display screens for greater vision.

Douglas: Robertson managing director of Stagecoach East, described their addition as “a step change for passengers and drivers.”

He said: “It is a positive time for bus services in Fife - last year passenger numbers rose 7.%% and first half of this year they are up 4%.”

> My view

Jump into any electric vehicle for the first time and you are struck by the silence.

"Is the engine on?” is a familiar question. An EV bus is as far removed from what we are used to – noisy machines which rattle along the road.

The ride is smooth and silent, with only the sound of conversation to be heard. Once you are underway, you forget you are on an EV bus, until it stops at traffic lights when the silence returns.

The EV buses will be a welcome addition to the roads of the Lang Toun, and, charged overnight, they will do a full shift before returning to the depot to be plugged back in.