A new Scottish Ultra-Low Emission Bus Scheme opened by the Scottish government is to provide £9m to help bus operators invest in ultra-low emission vehicles.
The initiative focuses on ultra-low emission technologies, such as hydrogen-electric or fully electric propulsion. According to Transport Scotland, accelerating the deployment of electric buses is in line with the country’s ambition to move to a net-zero economy.
The Scottish National Investment Bank is being established to support and enable the transition to net zero and will look to leverage additional private finance to deliver its missions. The bank will also have the ability to offer patient capital, on a commercial basis.
Scotland’s cabinet secretary for transport, infrastructure and connectivity, Michael Matheson, said: “With around three-quarters of all public transport journeys made by bus in recent years, equating to some 380 million trips across Scotland in 2018/19, it’s always been clear to me how critical our bus industry and its supply chain is to our wider transport objectives outlined in our National Transport Strategy.
“I’m pleased that our Scottish Ultra-Low Emission Bus Scheme will provide further support for our vital bus sector which plays a key role in keeping Scotland moving, improving our air quality whilst responding both to the Covid-19 crisis and the global climate emergency.”
The scheme is an evolution of the Green Bus Fund, through which £17m was invested between 2011 and 2018 to help operators overcome the initial capital costs of new buses. In total, the scheme supported the introduction of nearly 500 cleaner buses across Scotland.
