A revolutionary eco-friendly bus is being piloted on the streets.

The Oxford Bus Company is this week starting trials in the city with two liquid petroleum gas-powered buses, which are thought to cause less damage to the environment than conventional vehicles.

The new buses, which have been loaned to the company for three months, will operate on route number 15 between Oxford and Wood Farm.

They look similar to conventional buses but have two gas tanks on the roof.

Jonathan Radley, the company's marketing manager, told the Oxford Mail the company had gone as far as it could in reducing the emissions from diesel buses. He added: "What we're looking at is the next generation of single-decker buses for our routes in Oxford. It will probably be years away because the technology's very new."

The new LPG gas-powered buses produce smaller quantities of carbon monoxide and other harmful particles than other buses.

But at present they cost £33,000 more to buy than the diesel models.

Another drawback is that garages have to be adapted to house LPG tanks, with which the buses can be refuelled.

The Oxford Bus Company has already invested £8.5m over the last three years on 86 new low emission diesel buses.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.