The thought of losing those iconic red buses from the nation’s capital hardly bears thinking about even for a staunch environmentalist – but making them a little greener is something we can all welcome.

So it was good news then as Volvo handed over its first six hybrid double deck buses to Arriva London – a total of six Volvo B5L buses recently entered service on Route 141 in the city.

According to data from test track development and in-service field trials, the hybrid buses achieve significant savings in fuel consumption as well as reducing the carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrogen oxides and particulates produced by the vehicles compared to their conventional counterparts.

The buses boast the parallel I-SAM technology developed across the entire Volvo Group and their introduction follows the Volvo 7700 Hybrid Single Deck’s debut in Gothenburg, Sweden, in May. Thanks to longer intervals between bus stops in the Swedish city, fuel savings there have so far reached around 30 per cent.