Could Tielemans or Vardy be taking you to work today?
ELECTRIC BUSES NAMED AFTER FA CUP WINNERS
A fleet of electric buses has been named after Leicester City players.
The 11 bright green, zero-emission buses that operate on the city’s park and ride routes now bear the names of the players who helped win the FA Cup for the city for the first time.
Four additional buses are due to be named after substitutes for the final when they come into service this autumn.
It comes after the city council asked the public for suggestions earlier this year.
Those catching a bus into the city from sites at Meynell’s Gorse, Birstall or Enderby could find themselves travelling on a bus called Schmeichel, Vardy or even Tielemans – the scorer of the sublime goal that won the cup for Leicester.
The players’ names will not be hard to miss, prominently displayed beneath the windscreen of each bus.
City mayor Sir Peter Soulsby said: “When we took delivery of our zeroemission electric buses earlier this year, we asked our followers on social media to come up with some names for them.
“One of the most popular suggestions was that we should name the buses after the players, if Leicester won the FA Cup.
“I am obviously delighted that Leicester did go on to win the FA Cup – and very pleased that the players were happy for their names to appear on Leicester’s first electric buses.
“Whenever we see one of these electric buses on the streets of Leicester, we’ll be reminded of that electric performance at Wembley back in May.”
The Wembley substitutes, Albrighton, Maddison, Chowdhury C and Morgan, M will get their th own buses in the autumn.
Leicester City legend l and club ambassador a Alan A Birchenall said: “Seein “Seeing how much winning the FA Cup meant to the people of Leicester has been incredible and it’s fantastic to see these new 100 per cent electric buses proudly displaying the names of the lads on their way around the city.
“I’m sure in normal circumstances we’d have loved to be on an open-top bus tour with the trophy ourselves, but this is a fantastic way of celebrating that achievement, as well as helping to reduce emissions.
“Hopefully one day there will be an all-electric doubledecker with my name on to bring people into Leicester on a matchday.” The buses, powered by 100 per cent renewable energy, were introduced in May to replace diesel vehicles on Leicester’s three park and ride routes.
The services are run with Leicestershire County Council and are operated by Roberts Travel Group.
Jonathan Hunt, managing director of Roberts Travel Group, said the new buses are loved by both the drivers and City supporters.
They are part of the first phase of a £50 million project that could see electric buses rolled out to a third of the city’s network by 2024.
A total of 18 electric buses will be secured for Leicester’s Greenline project, funded largely by the government’s Transforming Cities Fund.
While 11 have been allocated to the park and ride routes, four will be introduced on the Hospital Hopper routes in the autumn and three electric buses will operate on a new city centre shuttle service operating from autumn 2022.