Government commits £200m to roll-out of up to 1,000 more electric & hydrogen buses

Sat 26 March 2022 View all news

The Government has announced £200m funding to support the purchase of 943 'green' buses across England. The commitment was announced alongside the publication of a consultation which seeks responses to a proposal to end the sale of non-zero emission (tailpipe) buses between 2025 and 2032. 

The funding comes through the Zero Emission Buses Regional Area (ZEBRA) scheme, which was launched last year to allow local transport authorities to bid for funding to purchase zero emission buses.

Twelve areas in England will receive grants from the multimillion-pound package to deliver electric or hydrogen powered buses, as well as charging or fuelling infrastructure, to their region. These include: Norfolk, North Yorkshire, Portsmouth, Blackpool, Nottingham, Greater Manchester, Hertfordshire, South Yorkshire, Oxfordshire, West Midlands, York and West Yorkshire.

As a result of the latest announcement, the Government says that it remains on track to deliver its commitment to fund a total of 4,000 zero emission buses across the country, promised by the Prime Minister in 2020.

Welcoming the announcements Andy Eastlake, Zemo Partnership's Chief Executive said: “ Since the first round of funding for Low Carbon Buses in 2009, Zemo members have  been at centre stage in this critical sector and have played a key part in delivering the most rapid decarbonisation of any vehicle type.  With this major funding commitment to zero emission buses and an ambitious end of sale date for emitting buses (potentially as early as 2025) buses continue to show how close partnership working can accelerate our transition to net zero transport.”

The Government has also launched a public consultation seeking views on setting a specific date between 2025 and 2032 for ending the sale of new non-zero emission (at the tailpipe) buses.

This would mean that, from 2032 at the latest, the sale of all new buses, powered either in part, or totally, by an internal combustion engine would cease to be allowed.

A call for evidence on ending the sale of new non-zero emission coaches and minibuses has also been announced, allowing evidence to be gathered on the challenges for the transition in this sector, and what an appropriate end of sales date might be.

The developments are part of the Government’s wider £3 billion National Bus Strategy which aims to significantly improve bus services, with new priority lanes, lower and simpler fares, more integrated ticketing and higher frequencies.

Note: From 1st April 2022, the Department for Transport has announced that Zero Emission Buses in operation in England will be eligible to claim 22p/km through the Bus Service Operators Grant. Zemo Partnership will be hosting an online Teams meeting in collaboration with DfT on Thursday 7th April 2022, 14:00-15:00 to explain the new documentation and associated process to operators and vehicle suppliers/manufacturers. Contact hello@zemo.org.uk if you would be interested in attending this meeting.

 

 


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