Friday 25 February 2022

Oxford charges ahead with massive electric bus plan

Oxford has unveiled an electric bus fleet programme that aims to drive down the city's emissions.

That follows Oxfordshire County Council's application for £32.8 million from the Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas scheme.

The funding package worth £82.5, including investment from bus companies Go Ahead and Stagecoach is forecast to deliver 159 electric buses and charging infrastructure.

Earlier this month, the local authority announced that drivers of diesel and petrol cars will have to pay more to drive in Oxford starting from this week following the launch of Britain’s first zero emission zone.

Councillor Tom Hayes, Oxford City Council’s Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Green Transport and Zero Carbon Oxford, said: “To clean up our air, we need to clean up the emissions produced by getting around.

"The importance of a zero emissions bus fleet is clear as we seek to achieve our ambitious target to become a net zero city by 2040 or sooner."