Hybrid buses are cleaner, quieter and use less fuel than standard diesel buses

More low polluting buses are set to arrive in Hackney, in a bid to improve air quality.

The environmentally-friendly hybrid buses already travel through the borough on routes 42, 141 and 276, but another 20 will be introduced on route 76, running between Tottenham and Waterloo.

Hybrid buses are cleaner, quieter and use less fuel than standard diesel buses, leading to a substantial reduction in road pollution and carbon dioxide emissions.

The buses are powered by a conventional diesel engine that works together with an electric motor to power the vehicle, and energy that would normally be wasted when the vehicle brakes is recycled to power the motor.

Funding for the eco-buses came from the government’s Department for Transport’s Green Bus Fund.

TfL was awarded �5m to fund 50 hybrid buses in 2009 and a further �5m in 2010, which should see a further 54 hybrid buses introduced later this year bringing the total to 150 hybrids in London.

Isabel Dedring, The Mayor of London’s environmental advisor, said: “Buses using this cleaner technology are great for the environment but also provide a smoother, quieter ride for passengers and also benefits for residents living where the vehicles pass through.”