Eco-friendly Bus Company Coming to Brighton
Published 19th Mar 2007 by Jasmin

A new eco-friendly bus company is offering local residents the opportunity to buy shares in the business. The Big Lemon (www.thebiglemon.com), which has already built a name for itself over the last six months, will provide the city’s first mode of carbon-neutral public transport and will offer the public a cheaper, quicker and better quality alternative to current services.

Designed with residents in mind; the Big Lemon can now be publicly owned by the local community. The Big Lemon is a Community Interest Company (CIC) which means it has the local residents at heart and is

committed to working for the benefit of the communities

in which it operates. Managing Director, Tom Druitt is calling on local residents to get on board. He says:

‘We want to create an enterprise in which the needs of the customers, the staff, the shareholders, the community and the environment are all met without sacrificing one for the sake of another. Brighton is becoming a greener city everyday and we have already received a lot of interest and support from local people. We welcome this enthusiasm and want to channel it into the company. We don’t just want to provide a service for the city’s residents; we want them to have a direct say and so we have offered these shares in order to create a sense of shared ownership for the people of Brighton. ’

The Big Lemon will offer residents a faster alternative to the traditional bus service. During rush hours the buses will only stop at certain stops, making them even more environmentally friendly as well as cutting down journey times for passengers. Buses will also run off bio-diesel and to ensure they are never missed, will be painted bright yellow.

Shares are priced at £100 each and investors benefit from half price bus travel as well as a share of dividends. Profits from the company get fairly split between passengers, staff and shareholders with agreed amounts set aside for investment, local charities and international efforts to combat climate change.

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