Thanks to £48 millions of government funding, councils and bus companies will be able to put more environmentally friendly buses on British roads. This is part of the government’s commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the transport sector through the Industrial Strategy.
Transport minister Nusrat Ghani introduced the new Ultra-Low Emission Bus Scheme. This scheme is to be implemented with the aim of cutting emissions and ensuring cleaner journeys. Local authorities and operators will be able to use the fund towards purchasing hundreds new ultra-low emission buses as well as investing in the infrastructure to support them.
Chief executive of Greener Journeys Claire Haigh, explained that the “The cleanest diesel buses emit fewer emissions overall than the cleanest diesel cars, despite being able to carry 20 times more passengers. Buses are also the lifeblood of our communities, connecting families and getting people to work.”
Likewise, Ghani noted that the government is “doing more than ever before to reduce greenhouse gas pollution across all modes of transport and we are committed to ensuring nearly all cars and vans are emissions-free at their tailpipes by 2050.”
“In order to achieve this ambitious target,” continues Ghani, “the transport sector is going to have to change dramatically over the next couple of decades – and buses are no exception.
“We are confident this scheme will encourage councils and operators to invest in these ultra-low emission vehicles – speeding up the full transition to a low emission bus fleet in England and Wales,” he concludes.
The announcement of the new Ultra-Low Emission Bus Scheme sends a “positive message that the government is serious about connecting the communities it serves and committed to putting the bus at the heart of the clean air solution,” says Haigh.
