Jump to page contentJump to site servicesHome  |  Contacts  |  Site Map
About The GroupInvestor RelationsMediaOur ResponsibilitiesCareers
Untitled Document
Media Press Releases Publications Image Library Video Library Useful Links Media Contacts
 

Alert Service

If you would like to receive email alerts for notification of new financial reports, presentations and changes to our financial calendar, please register for the Alert Service.

Budget travellers urged to dump gas guzzler airlines to save the planet

Jump to top navigationJump to site services

29/09/2006

  • Budget inter-city coach is “greener” way to travel, says Stagecoach
  • Megabus.com over six times more fuel-efficient than easyJet
  • Airline trips nearly 8 times more damaging to the environment

Budget travellers should dump “gas guzzler” airlines and switch to low-cost inter-city coach travel to minimise damage to the environment, transport group Stagecoach said today (29 September 2006).

The bus, coach and rail operator revealed figures which show airline travel is significantly more damaging to the environment, pumping out particularly harmful emissions into the upper atmosphere where they do most damage.

Bus and coach travel by comparison is more fuel-efficient and produces less harmful emissions, such as CO2, per passenger journey.

The figures come at a time when the Government is looking closely at the environmental impact of the huge expansion in low-cost air travel. It is one of the key issues in the in-tray of Douglas Alexander, the Secretary of State for Transport.

A survey by Stagecoach compared the environmental performance of its budget megabus.com service with low-cost airline easyJet.com on the popular Glasgow to London route.

Results of the survey show that, on a per passenger basis, megabus.com is:

  • More than six times more fuel-efficient than easyJet
  • Produces seven times less CO2 emissions
  • Offers cheaper fares for budget travellers

Previous international research has found that emissions from aircraft are especially potent because of complex chemical reactions that take place at altitude. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) estimates that this gives aircraft 2.7 times more global warming impact than carbon dioxide alone.

Brian Souter, Chief Executive of Stagecoach Group, said: “Any transport has an impact on environment, but we agree with the Government and environmental groups that we all need to look carefully at how we can balance our desire to travel with steps to protect the planet.

“These figures show clearly that bus and coach travel is the greener way to travel and far less damaging than airlines. Not only is megabus.com easy on the wallet, it is easy on the planet.

“The message is very clear – if you are a cost-conscious traveller who also cares about the future of our planet, drop the gas guzzler airlines and go by the megabus.com green machine.”

Stagecoach, which launched megabus.com three years ago with fares starting from just £1, has taken a full-page advertisement in a national newspaper today to highlight the issue.

The company is already involved in a number of initiatives to make its operations more environmentally sustainable. Last month, Stagecoach conducted the first UK trials of a bio-ethanol powered bus outside London in a move that could lead to the company’s vehicles being powered by sugar beets in the future.

Earlier this year, Stagecoach expanded the use of biodiesel to 1,800 vehicles in its UK bus fleet in a move to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve fuel efficiency.

Stagecoach has already rolled out the use of the next-generation fuel additive Envirox™ across its entire UK bus fleet after the success of a 12-month commercial evaluation. Tests of the product delivered more than a 5% cut in fuel consumption and an associated decrease in vehicle emissions.

ENDS

For further information, please contact:
Steve Stewart, Head of Media and Public Affairs, Stagecoach Group
Tel: 01738 442111 or mobile 07764 774680
Email: steven.stewart@stagecoachgroup.com

NOTES TO EDITORS

  • The survey compared the environmental performance of a Neoplan Skyliner megabus.com vehicle (capacity 91 passengers) with that of an easyJet 737-700 aircraft (capacity 149 passengers) between Glasgow and London.
  • The megabus.com vehicle used 2.3kg of fuel per passenger, compared to 14.9kg used by the easyJet plane. CO2 emissions per passenger were 6.2kg for megabus.com and 46.9kg for easyJet.
  • The comparative costs (including fees and taxes) of the cheapest available Glasgow-London trips bookable on 20 September 2006 for travel on 27 September 2006 were £10.50 for megabus.com and £40.99 for easyJet.
  • The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) statistics are sourced from IPCC Special Report – Aviation and the Global Atmosphere – Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 1999
  • Megabus.com operates a network of services covering nearly 40 major locations in the UK and carries around 2 million passengers a year. Booking, timetables and departure/arrival point information is available at www.megabus.com. All megabus.com reservations are subject to a 50p booking fee.
Top of page