Stagecoach works successfully with Police Scotland to deliver COP26 transport operation
- Largest mobilisation of police ever to happen in the UK
- Over 100 bus services a day transporting around 12,000 police officers
Following COP26, Stagecoach has highlighted its role in supporting a sustainable event by working with Police Scotland to deliver a successful transport operation for police officers working at the summit in the largest mobilisation of police to ever happen in the UK.
In partnership with Police Scotland, Stagecoach, the UK’s biggest bus and coach operator, operated over a hundred bus services every day to carry police officers to and from COP26. Around 12,000 police officers travelled by Stagecoach buses to support the event in a sustainable way, utilising over 100 buses and 200 bus drivers and by doing so removed the equivalent of 750 cars from the road each day. The successful operation was supported by a 24-hour control room.
Sam Greer, Regional Director of Stagecoach in Scotland said: “This has been a fantastic achievement that we are all very proud of. To take part in Scotland’s first ever major climate event, and to play such a huge role with transporting thousands of police officers every day has been a real highlight for Stagecoach.
“Overall we carried 12,000 police officers involved in COP26 from different points right across the region, all on a modern fleet of buses, carefully managed by our dedicated 24/7 control room.
“We’re very proud of our commitment to support Scotland’s net zero emissions ambitions by continuing to invest in modern cleaner buses, and it was great to be involved in providing a sustainable way of travelling for Scotland’s police forces.”
In addition to the contract with Police Scotland, Stagecoach also worked with Alexander Dennis and Transport for London to provide ten electric double-decker buses to transport the world’s leaders in the first week of the conference. Dignitaries including Prime Minister Boris Johnson, UN Secretary General António Guterres and Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi travelled on the fleet of buses.
Stagecoach will this year be introducing 46 new fully electric buses in key transport networks across Scotland in Aberdeen, Kilmarnock and Perth as part of the Government’s Ultra Low Emission Bus Scheme. During the summer, it launched six new electric buses serving rural communities across the west of Scotland in partnership with SP Energy Networks. Stagecoach has also made one of the biggest single investments in electric vehicles in Europe with its double-decker fleet in Manchester.
ENDS