Making the school run climate neutral

In Brittany, Linevia takes care of school bus connections. To make them even more comfortable and, above all, more climate-friendly, they use biogas buses. The 21 new Scania-Fencer buses with CNG drive also get good marks from the pupils.

Thanks to new biogas buses, schoolchildren in Bertagne can now travel much more comfortably and also in a more climate-friendly manner. Source: Scania France

Natural areas, wide fields, imposing forests, picturesque valleys and individual villages pass by when looking out of the bus window, while the white school bus of Linevia, a family-owned company specialising in passenger transport, calmly continues its journey towards the Collège of Mordelle. Once here, chauffeur Didier Liope parks his bus next to the other school buses that have already taken their pupils to the Collége in Brittany.

Driver Didier Liope appreciates his new workplace. Source: Scania France

“The new Scania-Fencer school bus runs on biogas. It is one of 21 buses that have gradually been added to our fleet since last autumn,” Liope proudly reveals. “They were specially developed for this kind of transport and are perfectly suited for it,” he adds, also praising the Scanias’ good equipment, their safety systems, ride comfort and fuel economy.

The operator Linevia has even set up its own refueling infrastructure for the school buses. Source: Scania France

“It consumes very little! Besides, it fits in with Linevia’s commitment to the environment that we run on biogas,” Liope emphasises. Linevia is a family business that is now run by the three brothers François, Christophe and Julien Herviaux. There has always been a lot of pioneering spirit in the company founded by their grandparents in Guer (F) in 1934. Over the years, the French company has focused on passenger transport, with an emphasis on as much sustainability as possible. “The danger is to keep putting things off and waiting for new energies and technologies! We are convinced that it will be a mix, depending on the area of use as well as the topography of the lines. With CNG, rather biogas, for suburban traffic,” admits François Herviaux, president and general manager of the company.

In the green on the road the Scania buses with CNG drive and biogas in the tank. Source: Scania France

With a length of 13.07 metres, a newly designed driver’s compartment and twelve gas tanks on the roof that give it a range of 650 kilometres, the Scania Fencer won the confidence of the Herviaux brothers with its excellent price-performance ratio. What’s more, Scania France involved the trio in the development of the bus. Xavier Guimbretière, Head of Region West, Coach Sales Scania France, reveals: “The space of the driver’s seat and the electric adjustment of the mirrors were revised after initial tests.”

High marks for a very climate-friendly school route in Brittany. Source: Scania France

While chauffeur Didier Liope continues his service, the students in the back of the Scania Fencer make the most of their time. Some chat, others ponder the passing scenery. With its 63 seats, all equipped with seat belts, the new bus fully meets Linevia’s expectations. The brothers are enthusiastic about the CNG-powered school buses with biogas in the tanks and pursue a holistic corporate philosophy in other ways as well: “Our efforts to take responsibility are expressed both in an inclusive human resources policy and in commitments to reforestation in the region, involvement in a circular economy and the development of the biogas sector,” explains François Herviaux.

In total, the new biogas fleet now includes 21 new Scania Fencer buses powered by CNG. Source: Scania France

As he is convinced of the significant role of biogas in the energy transition, he has even had biogas charging lines installed for the school buses. Freely adapted from Winston Churchill: “It is better to take change into our own hands before it grabs us by the throat,” says the company boss. An approach for which he will receive high marks not only from the students but also from the environment. (pd/jas, 7 September 2023)