Uppingham Hopper to become third electric bus service in Rutland

A town bus service is to go electric in the new year.

Rutland County Council is handing over an electric minibus to take on the Uppingham Hopper routes in the Rutland town early in the new year.

It follows the launch of an electric minibus service on both the Oakham Hopper routes and R9 service to and from Stamford, on December 2.

The three 15-seater vehicles were paid for by Levelling Up funding (LUF), held in conjunction with Melton Mowbray, to help improve transport services and launch a new public transport hub in the county.

Dedicated charging points have also been installed, and the running costs will be covered by Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) funding.

Coun Christine Wise (Lib Dem), portfolio holder for transport, environment and communities, said: “We are very pleased to see the new electric minibuses on the road, and we see this as a vital step to achieving the new public bus network.

“Not only this, but the environmental impact of using electric minibuses is far less and is in line with our core aims to deliver greener transport solutions for residents.”

Uppingham First, which runs the town’s hopper service, hopes to retain its current minibus for longer-distance runs, while the new electric version will take care of the daily town services.

Last weekend, the Hopper will take a community group to a function at Barnsdale and then to Manchester, on Sunday, to see the former rector of Uppingham, the Rev Canon Rachel Watts, installed in her new post.

“The new bus will take over the town routes and ideally, if it’s financially viable, we want to retain the current one as a second bus for community group activities and longer social journeys,” said Ron Simpson, executive director and secretary of Uppingham First.

The new minibuses also have wheelchair access.

“It will be a huge step forward from that point of view, and environmentally, it’s exactly what we want,” Ron said.

Coun Wise added: “Through new services such as this, we aim to make Rutland more sustainable for the future and ensure our bus infrastructure is always moving forward and adapting to the needs of our residents”.

For more information on Rutland’s buses, including full timetables, visit www.rutland.gov.uk/buses and for the Uppingha Hopper, go to https://uppinghamfirst.co.uk/uppingham-hopper/