£143 million allocated for zero emission buses
The Government has announced it is investing £143 million to roll out almost a thousand new zero-emission buses in England.
955 zero-emission buses will hit the road as 25 English councils receive funding to decarbonise their bus fleets, with rural areas being prioritised.
The government says the new investment will make local bus fleets more efficient, more comfortable and more sustainable.
The funding comes from the second round of the Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA) programme, which funds new electric buses in towns, villages and cities across England, including the most rural parts of the country.
The investment follows over £270 million allocated 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 £413 million across 41 LTAs.
To make sure more parts of England benefit from better buses and green technology, particularly rural areas where the journey towards decarbonising buses is in its early stages, the Government has prioritised the first £40 million of funding specifically for rural communities.
Transport secretary Mark Harper said:
“As part of our plan to improve local transport across the country, we’re providing a further £143 million 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 £3.5 billion 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.”
Alison Edwards, director of policy & external relations at the Confederation of Passenger Transport says,
“CPT welcomes this support from Government to help accelerate vital public and private investment in new zero emissions vehicles and charging infrastructure. The transition to a zero-emission bus fleet is a huge opportunity for Britain to lead the world in creating a modern zero emission bus network that offers a growing number of passengers one of the most sustainable forms of transport.”
Our Cities, placemaking, living and the net zero challenge programme is supported by E.ON, Equans and Mears
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