Converted coach runs on soya oil

The Hunts Travel coach which runs on soya oil as well as diesel

A Lincolnshire transport company says it is one of the first in the country to run a coach on vegetable oil.

Alford-based Hunts Travel has converted a 53-seater coach to use soya oil as well as diesel in a move designed to benefit the environment and save money.

A service bus has also been adapted and will shortly be transporting passengers to and from Skegness.

The company is monitoring the results and may convert the rest of its fleet of 19 buses and coaches.

It should significantly contribute towards lowering pollutants Alistair Bell, Hunts Travel

Traffic manager Alistair Bell said the firm had looked at the environmental impact its coaches were having and decided to reduce the amount of fossil fuels they were using.

"The process is simple," he said. "We've installed a second fuel tank so that the coach carries both diesel and vegetable oil.

"The vegetable oil is thicker than diesel and needs to warm up before it can go into the engine. We start the vehicle on diesel and the water in the radiator warms the vegetable oil.

When it gets to a temperature of 65 degrees Celsius, the engine switches over.

"It should significantly contribute towards lowering pollutants in the atmosphere and doing our bit to combat global warming."