Caetano zero emission buses in Peak District National Park trial
Caetano has deployed two zero emission vehicles for a trial supported by Toyota to link locations in and around the Peak District National Park. The two-week trial using an e.City Gold and an H2.City Gold is led by Gateway at PEAK, a 300-acre tourism resort that is being developed on a regeneration site on the park’s eastern boundary. The vehicle are manufactured by Toyota’s European partner CaetanoBus and are already in service worldwide.
The trial route connected eight locations and attractions in and around the park, including Chesterfield railway station, Chatsworth and the Gateway development, which will be the hub for a new PEAK Express service, scheduled to open in 2025. Currently 85 per cent of park visitors arrive by car and these numbers are set to increase. Regional stakeholders are also keen for more diverse groups to access the park and to grow the local economy through tourism. The aim is to deliver these goals in a sustainable way without increasing carbon emissions or damaging the park’s biodiversity and protecting community wellness and prosperity.
Once fully operating, PEAK Express at the Gateway aims to remove half a million tourist journeys from the National Park, reducing CO2 emissions by 3.6 million kilogrammes a year and provide a national exemplar of sustainable visitor economy growth. The long-term ambition is to see multiple hubs located around the Peak District National Park boundary.
Andrew McCloy, chair of the Peak District National Park Authority, says: “Protecting the National Park for future generations and developing more sustainable ways for people to visit is high on our agenda. The PEAK Gateway site outside the National Park is an excellent location for a transport hub. The Peak Express service is a commitment to net-zero and will connect more of the National Park’s attractions without the need for a car, making them more accessible and spreading out the economic benefits of tourism.”