How many times have you been behind a bus in traffic and wondered just how much carbon is being pumped into the atmosphere as you reach for the recirculate air button in your eco friendly car? It seems that the Department for Transport has been feeling the same concerns and has pledged a large amount of funding available for new low carbon buses as well as upgrading existing ones to make them more environmentally friendly.
Speaking at industry event ‘Coach and Bus Live’ on 2 October 2013, Transport Minister Norman Baker announced additional money to be made available after the success of other government funds including the Green Bus Fund and related Clean Bus Technology Fund.
Norman Baker said,
“This money will improve air quality in towns and cities across England and cut carbon, which is good for all of us wherever we live. Schemes like these are a cost-effective way of landing real benefits for the public and the environment. Cleaner, more efficient bus services are good for the economy and for the environment – it’s a win-win.”
The new funding will see £2.4 million ploughed into further funding for low carbon buses allowing bus companies and local authorities in Manchester, Oxfordshire, York and Sunderland to buy electric, hybrid and biomethane gas-powered buses.
The Clean Bus Technology Fund will allocate additional grants to local authorities totalling over £1 million pounds to modify local buses to reduce emissions of harmful pollutants and improve air quality on congested roads in parts of Kent, South Yorkshire, the West Midlands, Buckinghamshire and York.
The following towns, cities, districts and counties will benefit from the new funding:
- Manchester – 23 new green buses
- Sunderland – 23 new green buses
- York – seven new green buses and a pilot scheme to convert a diesel bus to electric propulsion
- Oxfordshire – 2 new buses
- Sheffield – conversion of 5 buses to run on natural gas
- West Midlands – 29 buses with exhaust gas treatment
- Chiltern District – 5 buses with exhaust gas treatment
- Swale Borough – 5 buses with exhaust gas treatment
In May the department announced £12 million for the fourth round of the Green Bus Fund and in June a further £5 million was allocated to the Clean Bus Technology Fund.
Source; Department for Transport
