THE first bus company in the country to run on recycled cooking oil from restaurants is celebrating ten years in business.

The managing director of Brighton and Hove’s the Big Lemon bus company said the firm’s success was in large part down to the city.

Norman Baker, the former Lewes MP who took up his role at the Big Lemon this summer, said: “I think we’re a very ‘Brighton’ story.

“We were the first vehicles solely run on cooking oil, the first to introduce solar power, the first to convert diesel vehicles to electric – no one had done that before.

“And we’re the first to aim to run none of our vehicles on any diesel or petrol at all.”

He said that support from the local authority and residents had been crucial in the firm’s succes.

Mr Baker continued: “The deal we have with the city is it’s the same price whether you’re on a Big Lemon bus or another bus.

“The city council has been quite supportive in mnaking make public transport as user-friendly as possible.

“And we’re leading the way in making it as environmentally friendly as possible.

“Brighton has an air pollution problem like most other cities.

“Part of the answer is getting people on buses, and the second part is making the buses cleaner.”

The company, founded by Green councillor Tom Druitt, has expanded enormously since its first day when it had just three vehicles based at a lorry park in Southwick.

In 2012 it won its first local authority contract, to run the 52 bus.

Since then it has held 11 public meetings, extended its routes in to the city centre, introduced multi-operator smart-ticketing and increased passenger numbers by 59 per cent.

Last year, the firm raised a quarter of a million pounds to fund the conversion of two buses from diesel to electric.

It also installed solar panels on the roof of the bus depot.

It won nine local and national awards including awards for recycling, innovation, and Best Workplace, Brighton & Hove Business of the Year and UK Environmental Social Enterprise of the Year.

Earlier this year Big Lemon made history by launching the UK’s first solar-powered bus, which is powered by the electricity generated on the roof of the depot.

And last month the company received £500,000 from the Department for Transport towards three new zero-emissions electric buses.

It promises their addition will to make Brighton and Hove “an even cleaner, greener city and build a working model for community sustainable transport across the country.”