UK's first 'poo-fuelled' bus takes new road to sustainable future

The UK's first ever bus powered on human and food waste has taken to the road.

The 40-seater 'Bio Bus', which runs between Bristol Airport and Bath, is powered by methane gas, which is produced by human waste and food waste, stored in tanks on the roof, News.com.au reported.

One tank of the gas, which is being produced at a Wessex Water sewerage plant run by energy firm GENeco, is equivalent to the waste output of five people and can fuel the bus for a 300 kilometre journey.

Company director Mohammed Saddiq said that vehicles such as the Bio Bus, which does not produce a smell, have an important role to play in improving air quality in UK cities.

Saddiq added that the Bio Bus is actually powered by people living in the local area, including quite possibly those on the bus itself.

Charlotte Morton, the chief executive of eco-friendly group the Anaerobic Digestion and Bioresources Association, said that the bus clearly shows that human poo and wasted food are valuable resources.

It is expected that up to 10,000 passengers will travel on the service a month.