The news has been described as "really exciting" by cllr Richard Wilkins, Somerset Council’s lead member for transport and waste services

Taunton set for greener travel as First Bus to roll out electric buses

Tait ap EllisMarch 12, 20250 Comment0

Brand-new electric buses will soon be hitting Taunton streets.

Working with Somerset Council, First Bus has announced it will introduce new electric buses on all town centre services in Taunton from April 20.

The 1, 4,6,7 services in the town will be fully electric, bringing cleaner, greener air to the town centre.

First Bus has been able to add more electric vehicles (EVs) to routes than originally planned, with routes 21, 22 and 28 services also operating with electric vehicles.

Buses on the 22 service will connect the new Orchard Grove housing estate community with a new frequent service every 15 minutes.

The move comes as First Bus announces its summer network changes, which they say incorporate customer and driver feedback and have been made by working closely with Somerset Council and the Somerset Bus Partnership.

Terrance James, head of network for First Bus in Somerset, said: “We’re delighted to introduce these changes for Somerset, helping to improve services for our passengers.

“With brand new electric buses about to enter service for the first time across our network in Somerset we’re excited for our passengers to experience these new vehicles across many of our services.

“We’ve also listened to what our customers are telling us and we’ve added connections like the new housing estate at Orchard Grove. Reliability and punctuality remain a key priority and timetables have been revised to improve services for our customers.”

Councillor Richard Wilkins, Somerset Council’s lead member for transport and waste services said: “We’ll be seeing the first EV buses on our roads very soon and that’s fantastic news and is thanks to excellent partnership working between Somerset Council and First Bus.

“This is a really exciting development as we continue on our journey towards more sustainable transport in Somerset.

“There are also some positive changes across services and we urge bus users to take time to review the summer network changes before April 20 so they are fully aware of any that may apply to their route.”

Click here for the full details of the summer network changes.

Full timetable details are available on the First Bus Somerset website, and passenger are advised to check details before travelling ahead of the new services coming into effect.