And what's the verdict? After a run in and out of Hessle this morning, I have to say that it holds up rather well. Okay, maybe the MCV bodywork/interior might rattle a bit more than I expected, but other than that, its quiet, delightfully laid out, and dare I say, quite stylish inside and out. Batteries are stored on the roof, meaning that navigation inside is not hampered, but seating capacity has noticeably been cut to fit in both a wheelchair and pram bay - an observation made by quite a few passengers. Seems the onus here is on European-style standee preference instead of seating.
In a few snippets of conversation I had with the driver, of which I wish I was a bit more prepared for, the driver, at least, is in favour of a few more BZLs being purchased by East Yorkshire... once the whole Anlaby Road situation is sorted out, of course. The age and size of the present Anlaby Road depot prevents the installation of electric charging infrastructure, and despite the fact that this demonstrator came with its own charger, purchases of these will necessitate the installation of permanent infrastructure to boot. Of course, plans for a new central depot for East Yorkshire appear to be on the drawing board, but unlike the new Scarborough depot [...] no news has dropped on redevelopment/site acquisition just yet.
Thus, we'll have to wait and see when the electric or even hydrogen bus will make a permanent presence on the Hull bus scene. Personally, given the Volvo/MCV relationship of the past few years, it would make sense to buy the Volvo BZL, and I think a shorter variant of the single-decker would work excellently on the 66 and other Hessle town services. Double-deckers? Maybe we can have the double-deck on loan on the 57 someday.
www.route-one.net
