Minister launches green bendy bus for route 507

The bus runs on fuel produced through a process which involves turning natural gas into a very clean form of diesel. The fuel, known as 'gas to liquid', has significantly lower emissions of harmful air pollutants than conventional diesel and can be used in any vehicle without the need for expensive modifications.

The fuel, produced by Shell, will be trialled over the next few months on the 507 Red Arrow route which runs from Waterloo to Victoria.

David Jamieson (centre) with representatives from DaimlerChrysler and Shell

David Jamieson said "I very much welcome this trial, and look forward to seeing the detailed results in a few months' time. London still has some serious air pollution problems, and we need to be as innovative as possible in looking for solutions which are good for passengers, roads users and the environment. Newer buses are already a lot cleaner than they were a few years ago and by using ultra clean fuels we should be able to reduce harmful emissions still further".

Shell and Transport for London will be monitoring its emissions and performance very closely to check that it delivers the sort of benefits which have already been seen in trials elsewhere in the world.

In the longer term, the "gas to liquid" process could also be applied to the production of liquid fuels from biomass (woody and other organic materials, possibly including municipal waste). This offers the prospect of carbon savings as well as air quality benefits.