The UK government has announced plans to invest £143m to support the rollout of almost one thousand new zero-emission buses in England.
Transport secretary Mark Harper confirmed that 955 zero-emission buses will hit the road as 25 councils receive funding to decarbonise their bus fleets, with the the first £40m prioritised for rural communities to help improve local transport.
The funding comes from the second round of the Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA) programme, which will see new electric buses in towns, villages and cities across England, including the most rural parts of the country, many of which will get zero-emission buses for the first time.
According to the government, the results of the ZEBRA scheme means no other European country registered as many electric buses in 2023 as the UK, with zero-emission buses accounting for almost half of all new large buses introduced last year, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
The latest investment follows more than £270m to 16 local transport authorities (LTAs) and councils from the first round of ZEBRA funding, bringing the total government support to roll out zero-emission buses to more than £413m across 41 LTAs.
READ MORE: £80m delivered to improve and protect bus services in England
The new zero-emission buses follow £4.7bn of reallocated HS2 funding invested directly into the north and Midlands through the Local Transport Fund to invest in improvements such as refurbished local bus stations and improve local connections.
Harper said: “As part of our plan to improve local transport across the country, we’re providing a further £143m to improve journeys for bus passengers particularly in rural areas, with almost a thousand brand-new, zero-emission buses due to hit the road.
“This latest investment into our bus fleet comes on top of the £3.5bn we have invested into our bus network since 2020, protecting and improving bus routes into 2025 as well as extending the £2 bus fare cap until the end of 2024, made possible by reallocated HS2 funding.”
The new buses aim to improve the passenger experience, providing users with quieter and more comfortable journeys, as well as meet enhanced accessibility standards by featuring wi-fi and USB charging sockets.”
Achievements and innovations in public transport will be celebrated at the third annual CiTTi Awards, which will be held on 26 November 2024 at De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms in London. Nominations are open now! Please visit www.cittiawards.co.uk to learn more about this unmissable event for the UK’s transportation sector.
