Local authorities can now apply to become the UK’s first all-electric bus town, transport secretary Grant Shapps has announced.
The winning area will receive up to £50m to help pay for a brand-new fleet of electric buses, which could help reduce emissions and improve air quality in their community.
According to the government, a town with 200 electric buses could save around 7,400 tonnes of CO2 each year, equivalent to taking 3,700 diesel cars off the road.
The £50m fund is part of a total £170m allocated to improve services and make bus journeys greener, easier and more reliable.
This commitment marks the next step in delivering the government’s £220m package to overhaul bus services across England and level up transport infrastructure.
Shapps said: “Buses carry more people than any other form of public transport in the UK, and with 200 electric buses able to offset 3,700 diesel cars, it is clear they have a crucial role to play in bringing down emissions.
“But Britain’s first all-electric bus town is just the start. Helping deliver on our manifesto promise, this £170m package will help us to create communities that are cleaner, easier to get around and more environmentally friendly, speeding up journeys and making them more reliable.
“By focusing on efficient and affordable transport, we will make greener journeys the natural choice.”
The government has also announced a new £20m fund to encourage the development and trial of on-demand ride-sharing services in rural and suburban areas.
A further £30m of funding in 2020 to 2021 has also been confirmed for all local authorities in England, outside of London, to help them improve current bus services or restore those that have been lost.
What’s more, new low-fare, high-frequency Superbus networks are being developed to increase service frequency of services.
The first will be introduced in Cornwall next year, where the network will be integrated with the county’s main railway line.
Investments are also being made to speed up bus journeys. As part of the first tranche of the £2.5bn Transforming Cities Fund, Derby and Nottingham, the North East, Portsmouth and Southampton will see the deployment of bus priority traffic lights to speed up trips to the city centres.
To apply for the all-electric bus town scheme, please click here.
Want to learn more about electric vehicles and zero-emission transportation? CiTTi Exhibition takes place on the 3rd and 4th of June at Coventry’s Ricoh Arena. Register your interest to attend at www.cittiexhibition.co.uk
