London, hydrogen, buses, rejoice.

Green buses are on their way to the Big Smoke.

And, as well has having a ‘vert’ paint job, they will be good for the environment too.

The hydrogen powered beauties will be on the streets of London, whizzing silently over its cobbled roads, avoiding dandies, artful dodgers and the like, by 2010.

And the £9.65m cost shows that it is a serious venture too.

The BBC, hopeful telling the truth, has the story:

The makers (Wrightbus and the ISE Corporation) say the new bus offers a “sustainable, safe and clean power source”, ideally suited for a densely populated city.

“As there is no carbon in the fuel, hydrogen-powered vehicles produce no carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide or particulate emissions,” said Wrightbus business development director Jonathan Poynton.

“By the time of the London Olympics in 2012, Mayor of London Ken Livingstone wants to have hundreds of these hybrid vehicles on the roads.