A COMPANY'S entire bus fleet could be converted to run on environmentally-friendly plant oil within a year.

The move by Thames Travel follows a successful five-month trial of a vehicle, pictured, converted to run on soya oil. In conjunction with Oxford Brookes University and Regenatec, the Volvo single decker bus was converted from diesel.

Managing director John Wright said: "It has been running on the streets of Reading and Oxford without any problems. It should mean people can breathe a little more easily as the bus does not produce damaging emissions.

"This was the first bus of its kind operating regular services in Oxfordshire."

All 34 buses in the company's fleet may be converted and he added: "We started this because we believe that if buses are to have a significant future they must cut emissions to prevent city and town centres becoming badly polluted.

"Buses must be converted to clean technology if they are to take over from the car in city centres like Oxford."

Mr Wright said the only possible problem with soya fuel is using arable land to grow the crop in the first place, but experiments were being done now to find ways of growing it on virtually barren land.

He said: "Running on soya really is a win-win situation.

"We have not seen any problems."

He added he was surprised that the lead has been taken by two small companies - his own and Regenatec which operates from Milton trading estate - and not by the really big companies.

The only other vehicle running on soya in Oxfordshire is the bus which runs from Milton trading estate to Didcot station for the benefit of estate employees.

Regenatec oversaw the conversion of the estate bus.

Scientists at Oxford Brookes University are currently trying to find ways of making soya fuel even cleaner.

A spokesman for Stagecoach said: "We have no immediate plans for conversion but we may look at it in the future."

And a spokesman for the Oxford Bus Company said bio-fuel was not yet fully proved for buses.

He said: "We are very conscious of environmental pollution and do absolutely everything we can to make our operation as green as possible.

"We have won awards for our efforts and we will continue to look at all ways of becoming even greener."

A spokesman for green group Sustainable Wallingford praised Thames Travel for its efforts and urged other companies to step up their efforts to cut pollution, especially in towns and cities.

Environment Agency spokesman Tim Abbott said: "We support the development and use of biofuels as part of the wider battle to combat climate change.

"Tackling transport emissions is essential as they are a growing source of greenhouse gases which contribute to global warming."