Thirteen new contracts awarded - but still no more hybrids

摘要

The tightness of the timing of the latest tendered service announcements, all to begin next January or February but all with diesel-engined buses, suggests operators are unhappy about Transport for London's requirement for a percentage of hybrids on busy routes.rnHybrids cost around 50% more than diesels, but it is hard to see a predictable future for them after five or seven years. Indeed, that is starting to be a problem with conventional buses, since secondhand values of seven-year olds have dropped within the past year and the cost of removing the second exit door is a considerable deterrent.