Trial begins for free electric bus service
TOWN CENTRE: A free electric bus service has been launched for passengers travelling to and from Slough town centre.
Customers will be able to trial the route for free until December.
The single-decker, silvery blue bus will complete an hourly circuit along the A4 Bath Road, between Mercian Way, Cippenham and the Uxbridge Road roundabout (route number 4a) Monday to Saturday.
During the 13-week trial, the Thames Valley Buses service will use the controversial A4 Bath Road bus and cycle lanes along part of the route. The experimental lane was introduced to help residents socially distance during the ongoing pandemic alongside making road space available for active and sustainable travel.
The first bus of the day leaves Slough Bus Station at
7.55am and from Mercian Way at 8.22am.
The last bus of the day leaves Slough Bus Station at
5.55pm and from Mercian Way at 6.22pm.
It is the first electric bus to use the town’s bus lanes.
Councillor Rob Anderson, cabinet member for sustainable transport and environmental services, said: “We hope people will hop on and off this bus for the duration of the trial for no cost and we will see if this is a viable service for the future.
“It is an additional service which will help with capacity and help people socially distance. It will be free, fast and environmentally friendly.”
Robert Williams, chief executive officer of Thames Valley Buses, said: “During lockdown we all saw, and breathed in, the benefits of fewer cars on the road and we believe initiatives like this will only help to convince more people to reduce their car usage.”
Thames Valley Buses would like customers to provide feedback by scanning the QR code on leaflets aboard the bus and filling in an online survey.