A fleet of electric buses will soon be arriving in Blackpool, following a successful joint bid by Blackpool Council and Blackpool Transport Services (BTS) to the Department for Transport’s Zero Emission Bus Regional Area (ZEBRA) fund.
James Carney, finance and commercial director at BTS, said: “Blackpool Council have shown its ambition for a clean public and modern transport system since 2016, when the first Euro VI, environmentally friendly diesel buses were delivered as part of a £22m finance programme to invest in new buses.
“This grant will take Blackpool’s bus network to another level because by operating electric buses, the company will no longer need buy 2m litres of diesel a year. We will be able sell most of our current fleet of diesel buses to other UK bus operators, providing access to low-emission diesel buses at an affordable cost and allowing funds from the sale of the buses to be reinvested in the local transport network.”
Plans are in place to introduce 115 new buses over the next three to five years, with Blackpool’s Rigby Road depot converted to accommodate the EVs.
Blackpool will receive £20m from the ZEBRA fund to support the scheme. The fund was first announced by the Prime Minister in 2020 and helps local transport authorities outside London to introduce zero-emission buses and the infrastructure needed to support them.
Jane Cole, managing director at BTS, added: “Good air quality is hugely important to everyone and the introduction of electric vehicles will contribute positively towards reducing air pollution. This funding is a key step in our strategy to make Blackpool a vibrant, digital-technology led town.”
