Government announces a further £60m investment in greener, more efficient and accessible bus services
Fri 09 December 2011
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The Department for Transport has announced an additional £60 million investment in bus services across England, to make them greener, more efficient, and easier to use. The investment comes on top of £30m spending for buses announced in the Autumn Statement, which included additional resources for the Green Bus Fund.
Of the spending announced in December, £50 million will go towards the Better Bus Areas fund, which is an initiative that will see bus operators working in partnership with local authorities to increase passenger numbers. £10 million will support the development of Community Transport, which aims to provide funding to 76 local authorities.
These announcements follow on from the £30 million investment in the UK bus industry outlined in the Autumn Statement, which included £20 million for the third round of the Green Bus Fund, and £10 million to fit pollution reduction technology in London buses. (This is made up of £5 million funding from central Government and £5 million match funding from Transport for London.) The new equipment will cut NOx emissions from buses in the Capital by around 400 tonnes – and will also help promote UK jobs in manufacturing and supplying clean vehicle technology.
Norman Baker, Transport Minister said: “This package of bus measures will support growth in our economy by creating better links to work, shops and schools, as well as helping to cut carbon emissions. This huge injection of £50 million for our new Better Bus Areas will encourage partnership working between good local authorities and good bus companies, which will benefit bus passengers.
“In terms of the Green Bus Fund announcement, the UK is fast establishing itself as a world leader in low carbon bus technology, and I am proud to deliver this vote of confidence in our bus building industry. This is great news for jobs and manufacturing in this country.
“The £20 million being provided is in addition to the £47 million that has already helped put 540 new low carbon buses on our roads and demonstrates how serious we are about reducing carbon emissions from transport.”
Local authorities wishing to bid for money from the Better Bus Areas fund will be asked to submit bids in February to allow the Department to award funding by the end of March.
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