Request ID: FOI-3688-2324 Date published: 07 February 2024
You asked
• How many electric buses operate in London
o broken down by fleet / area if possible
• How many fires have been linked to electric buses
• How many electric buses have broken down since 2021 (broken down by year)
• How much has been spent on electric buses
We answered
Our Ref: FOI-3688-2324
Thank you for your request received on 18 January 2024 asking for information about electric buses.
Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act and our information access policy. I can confirm that we hold some of the information you require.
The safety of staff and customers is always our top priority, and TfL and bus operators will not hesitate to take further action if required to ensure the network remains safe. The investigations into the bus fire in Wimbledon and the bus fire in Putney are still in the early stages and there is currently no evidence to suggest that they are linked. The buses involved were all made by different manufacturers and the circumstances for each were different. Other buses in the fleets remain in service, and London’s bus network remains safe to use.
We regularly engage with bus operators, manufacturers, suppliers and the London Fire Brigade to address the potential of risk posed by bus fires.
You asked:
• How many electric buses operate in London o broken down by fleet / area if possible
There are currently 1,291 electric buses in the London bus fleet. These buses operate across London.
The following routes operate fully with electric buses:
• How many fires have been linked to electric buses
• May 2022 – a fire on an electric bus fire at Potters Bar Bus Garage • 11 January 2024 – a fire on an electric bus fire in Wimbledon • 24 January 2024 - a fire on an electric bus at Putney Bus Garage
• How many electric buses have broken down since 2021 (broken down by year)
We do not hold this information. Our contractual mechanisms are based on the service being operated, we do not track which vehicles are used and for how long. Our contracted bus operators often rotate buses to manage on the day issues and to respond to delays.
• How much has been spent on electric buses
The cost of the electric buses and infrastructure is embedded within the bus route contracts, we do not hold a separate figure for their cost.
If this is not the information you are looking for please do not hesitate to contact me.
Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal.
Yours sincerely
Gemma Jacob Senior FOI Case Officer FOI Case Management Team General Counsel Transport for London
