Passengers across England will enjoy greener, smoother and quieter bus journeys thanks to a £37.8m government investment to deliver 319 new zero-emission buses.
The funding has been allocated to 12 successful local authorities across England – following bids to expand their zero-emission bus fleets – and will see 319 cleaner, more comfortable vehicles serving passengers by spring 2027.
It comes as the government made changes to the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Mandate yesterday, including increasing flexibility of the mandate up to 2030 and allowing hybrid vehicles to be sold until 2035, all with the aim of supporting UK electric vehicle manufacturers.
Today, Local Transport Minister Simon Lightwood will visit Hull to see how the funding will bring improved journeys for passengers and discuss how highly skilled engineering and construction jobs will be created locally as electric bus infrastructure is delivered.
He said: “I’m thrilled to announce this £38m investment, which will deliver 319 new zero-emission buses to communities across England by 2027.
“This funding will not only make bus travel cleaner, greener and more comfortable, but it will create jobs, support local economies and accelerate our journey towards a zero emission future.”
Connecting passengers with vital services
The biggest portion will go to Nottinghamshire County Council, which will benefit from £2.6m to launch 42 new electric buses; Hull City Council, where £3.9m has been allocated to provide 42 vehicles; and the West of England Combined Authority, which will receive nearly £20m for 160 buses.
This funding comes on top of the Zero Emission Bus Regional Area 2 (ZEBRA 2) programme, which has funded a further 995 zero-emission buses.
Funding will see vital bus routes given a new lease of life; for example, in Bristol, funding will be used to expand zero-emission bus services across 22 different routes through the city, connecting passengers with vital services, including hospitals and universities.
Putting local people at the heart of zero-emission bus construction
UK-based manufacturers are well-placed to benefit from these new zero-emission bus orders. 60% of buses funded by previous ZEBRA investments are being procured from domestic firms, supporting highly skilled jobs and growing regional economies to improve living standards.
Regional leaders and leading manufacturers are also being given a voice on zero emission plans – through the UK bus manufacturing expert panel – which seeks to put local people at the heart of bus building.
The first event was hosted by the Local Transport Minister, Simon Lightwood, in Sheffield last month and saw experts from Alexander Dennis and Wrightbus speak with Metro Mayors Oliver Coppard (South Yorkshire) and Tracy Brabin (West Yorkshire) about how local transport ambitions could link hand in hand with zero emission ambitions.
“We’re very grateful to the Department of Transport for this continued partnership. Together, we’re investing in even more zero-emission buses so that customers across the UK can access cleaner, greener public transport,” explained Matt Carney, CEO of Go-Ahead Bus.
Matt Cranwell, Stagecoach East Midlands Managing Director, added: “We’re delighted to be working with local authorities and the government to invest in a further 78 new electric buses to play our part in improving air quality in those regions where we operate.
“This new government funding, supported by significant investment by bus operators, will play a key role in Stagecoach’s transition to green bus fleets, helping us to meet our goal of having a zero-emission UK bus fleet nationally by 2035.”
The future of green bus manufacturing
The incoming Bus Services Bill will not only hand power back to local authorities to operate their own services but also include a measure to ultimately end the use of new diesel and petrol buses across England. It is expected to progress into the House of Commons shortly.
The Local Transport Minister also visited Wrightbus’ site in Ballymena last week to continue engagement around the future of green bus manufacturing and mark the significant milestone of their fleet passing 50 million green miles travelled.
