Monday 28 March 2022

Almost 2,000 electric buses hit UK towns with £200m investment

Another 943 electric buses are being rolled out across the UK, with a £200 million investment from the government.

This adds to the zero-emission buses already delivered by the government, taking the number close to 2,000 overall.

A commitment to fund 4,000 electric buses was made by Boris Johnson in 2020.

The government projects that this investment will see 57,000 tonnes of carbon emissions removed from the air, as well as 22 tonnes of nitrogen oxide.

Norfolk, North Yorkshire, Portsmouth, Blackpool, Nottingham, Manchester, Hertfordshire, South Yorkshire, Oxfordshire, the West Midlands, York and West Yorkshire are the areas set to benefit from this latest round of funding.

A consultation has also been launched, looking to set a date between 2025 and 2032 to stop the sale of buses that are not zero-emission. This means that by 2032 at the latest, any internal combustion engine buses will not be sold.

Grant Shapps, Transport Secretary, said: “Not only will this improve the experience of passengers, but it will help support our mission to fund 4,000 of these cleaner buses, reach net zero emissions by 2050 and build back greener.”

“We recognise the scale of the challenge the world faces in reaching net zero. That’s why reducing emissions and creating green jobs lies at the heart of our transport agenda,” added Transport Minister, Baroness Vere.