New University buses will save over 48 tonnes of CO2 a year

The five new “Enviro 200” buses will reduce the carbon footprint of the bus company by the equivalent to the C02 saved by 42,000 forest trees annually, or that would be produced by driving a car for 78.39 days non-stop or removing nine cars off the road for a whole year.

The buses are the result of an investment of over £575,000 by the University and Uno Buses and will service Route 21 which covers Park Campus, Kingsthorpe, Northampton Town Centre, Weston Favell and Rectory Farm, and sees 14,000 passengers travelling on the route each week.

The investment increases sustainable travel options in the area, and will improve bus services for students, staff and the local community.

Operated as a social enterprise, the routes covered by Uno Buses serve over two million passengers annually; linking the University campuses with the town centre, bus and train stations; as well as services to Daventry, Milton Keynes and Bedford. All profits from the Uno Buses Northampton are invested back in to the University, providing capital for the University’s scholarships fund.

Since Uno Buses was launched in 2012, the services have gone from strength to strength, increasing buses from two per hour to five per hour across most routes during peak times. Student usage alone saves on average 241 tonnes C02 compared to driving whilst they study at the University.

Terry Neville OBE, Chief Operating Officer of the University of Northampton said: “Through Uno Buses, we’re committed to delivering the best services for our customers travelling around Northamptonshire on the Uno routes. Our five new buses working on route 21 will help us improve upon our service punctuality and reliability performance and provides us with an excellent platform to develop our services further.

“This investment of £575,000, is further evidence that we are committed to providing a comprehensive bus network for local communities in Northampton. These new buses will offer savings of 18,000 litres of diesel each year, which will have a further positive impact on the sustainable travel options in the town.”
Pictured: L-R – Philip Waters, Chairman of Universitybus Ltd & Uno Buses (Northampton) Ltd,  Tony Ciaburro , ‎Director Environment Development & Transport, Northamptonshire County Council, Terry Neville, Chief Operating Officer, the University of Northampton, Jason Ball, Uno Buses Northampton, James Thorpe, Managing Director, Universitybus Ltd & Uno Buses (Northampton) Ltd, Richard Todd Operations Manager Universitybus Ltd & Uno Buses (Northampton) Ltd. ​​