The bus will be powered by your leftover pizza, curry and fruit

Following on from last year’s ‘poo bus’ experiment, Bristol will soon have a new form of low-emissions public transport, powered by an unusual gas.

On August 21, a double-decker bus powered by biofuel will be launched.

The vehicle will be powered by biomethane - a renewable gas created from food waste that makes it a completely renewable and sustainable fuel source.

Despite being powered by morsels of leftover pizza and curry, the gas is completely odourless.

FirstGroup will initially use the bright green double-decker as a pathfinder to assess how well it can cope with the demands of city-wide operations in Bristol and how it impacts things like refuelling and maintenance.

It will operate on Service 1 from Cribbs Causeway to Broom Hill to begin with while the operator assesses its practicality.

The bus is the first of its kind to be trialled in the UK.

The green colour and “playful” bubbles are apparently a reference to the fermentation process and the environmental credentials of the bus.

James Freeman, Managing Director of First West of England said: “We are immensely proud to bring this premium double decker to Bristol so soon after the manufacturers offered it to the market.

“Its low emissions and bio-gas credentials are just what is needed in a city that is faced with air quality challenges and increased congestion.

“This bio-gas bus helps to improve local air quality as it produces fewer emissions than traditional diesel engines.”

Bristol City Council also expressed its excitement at the introduction of the green bus.

Cllr Mhairi Threlfall, cabinet member for transport, said:

“It’s a testament to our good partnership with First that we were chosen to be the first place in the UK to test this particular type of innovative bus technology.

“The future and health of Bristol depends on exploring low-emission technology and investments like this will help make real progress towards our air pollution targets.”

The biomethane buses are rated as the best low-emission double-decker bus on the market at the moment.

Using biomethane, the bus’ greenhouse gas emissions should be 84 per cent cleaner than a Euro 5 diesel over its life cycle.

The tailpipe emissions of the vehicle should even be lower than many modern Euro 6 diesel passenger cars.

It should also be quieter, with a different type of engine in operation aimed at improving the experience for the 70 people on board.

As well as the 70 seats, there is standing room for 13 people and no grab-rails to create more space.

First are pushing to make their fleet of buses increasingly green, and the bio-bus is the latest addition to the 110 low-emission buses already in operation.

It remains to be seen whether the service will run on time, however.