Oldham's first battery electric bus proves a hit with passengers

I'll hold my hands up: I wouldn't say I'm a regular bus user.

Long gone are the days when I used to hail the bus to school, college and university, but I haven't forgotten the unpleasant experience of (most of) those journeys which I remember distinctly as being hot, sweaty, loud, crowded and slow.

So when I popped down to Oldham's bus depot on Wallshaw Street to see what all the fuss was about with this new electric bus, I was quickly humbled as the Sigma 10 bus seems to challenge each nightmarish preconceived prejudice I had accumulated.

Josh Griffiths, Oldham bus driver, and Rob Hughes, operations director of First Manchester (left to right) (Image: Newsquest, Olivia Bridge)

Hopping on the route 57 around town, here's everything I thought about the new electric bus here to shake up the norm in the borough.

Design and interior 

The first thing that stands out is the futuristic design of the bus itself, brought to life by the bus building company, Mellor.

Inoffensive blue mood lighting hugs the ceiling to light up the walkway down the bus, almost giving it a limousine-meets-UFO feel.

Meanwhile, its 35 seats are in a racecar-like design for comfort - and, crucially, sit as individual chairs meaning passengers can't easily take up numerous seats at the back of the bus. (A side note: this is another welcome win in the war on 'manspreading' and space invaders more generally).

The blue lighting has been a hit (Image: Newsquest, Olivia Bridge)

But even with all the passengers in a seat, up to 33 more can stand, meaning little over 65 people can ride the bus at any given time.

However, no doubt the biggest hit with riders is the fact that each seat comes with its own stop button, USB port and a wireless charger built into the headrest in front.

That means you can pop your phone in the stand, read or watch whatever content you like from your device, charge your phone in the process - whether you remember to pack a charger or not - and ding the stop button without scrambling to the pole when nearing your stop.

There is also a digital board in the middle of the bus that displays the name of the next stop, ideal for nervous passengers or first-time bus riders who aren't familiar with the route.

Each seat has its own USB port, stop button and wireless charger (Image: Newsquest, Olivia Bridge)

Josh Griffiths, who has been a bus driver in Oldham for the past 15 years, said it was his first time driving such a bus and said elderly people especially have liked the accessibility of the stop buttons.

He said it means they can remain in the comfort of their seat and don't need to risk a fall when nearing their destination.

As an added bonus, the stop sound is much softer and quieter compared to a regular bus.

The sound, speed and safety

Speaking of sound, the bus itself is notably quiet as it glides through the roads more like a zippy hoverboard than a large vehicle.

The absence of a roaring combustion engine stands out - and is so quiet in fact that the designers had to install some audio features for safety reasons.

The Sigma 10 electric bus glides quietly through the streets (Image: Newsquest, Olivia Bridge)

A gentle automated voice occasionally speaks out to notify pedestrians outside that a bus is approaching when it's travelling below 10pmh as, Rob Hughes, operations director at First Manchester, said it could be risky to have a fully silent bus nip through the streets.

The Sigma 10 also has a 'mobile eye' positioned at the front of the vehicle which alerts the driver if a car suddenly stops or a person steps out in front of the vehicle.

Passenger and driver thoughts

While the bus is in its trial period, only a few drivers in Oldham have been selected to drive it while First Manchester compiles feedback.

But Josh said Oldhamers have been impressed so far with many commenting on how it feels "cleaner, newer and futuristic". He said some have referred to it as a "spaceship".

On the move around Oldham (Image: Newsquest, Olivia Bridge)

From a driver perspective, Josh also said it's "a lot better" compared to the other buses he's been driving for more than a decade. The seat is comfier, reducing the effects of a bumpy ride, while the protective barrier between the driver and passenger side has been removed.

"Passengers feel like they're not getting blocked and we can engage with them properly", Josh added, having found the removal of the screen has meant customers enjoy a "personable" experience and enjoy chatting more freely with the driver.

Environmentally

First certainly has a first-class vision when it comes to helping local communities meet net-zero targets.

It has started making moves to decarbonise its fleet across the whole country - and its target of 600 zero-emission buses, which includes hydrogen and electric, is inching nearer to completion by the target deadline of spring next year.

The outside of the bus (Image: Newsquest, Olivia Bridge)

Even First's operations bases are improving with some already rolling out solar panels to generate electricity to power up its electric fleet.

Meanwhile, the buses themselves are charged at the most efficient time at night, preserving resources while in turn allowing the buses to travel up to 210 miles on a single charge.

Rob, who was just as excited to ride Oldham's electric bus, said: "We want to encourage people to use the bus in Oldham and across the UK, so giving people something that's really clean, really modern, really progressive, is something that can only be a positive.

"Having electric vehicles is a benefit to the community because it helps towns and cities reduce their emissions and it also helps people who use the bus to reduce their carbon footprint.

"A bus like this is worlds away from a dirty diesel bus.

"It's a very exciting time to be involved in buses", Rob added.

The bus has many environmental benefits (Image: Newsquest, Olivia Bridge)

Overall thoughts

First said it wants to attract new bus users and appeal to all ages, and that vision is clear right down to the careful blueprint of the bus' design.

Buses have certainly evolved with the times from when I last piled into one and if an electric bus like this Sigma 10 is what we can expect as our new normal in just a few years' time, it's not impossible to imagine a world with fewer cars on the road and a better environment for the next generation to grow old in.

What an exciting time, indeed.