menu
General News

Government commits £11 million to greener buses

Gary Hart September 1, 2017

The Big Lemon Bus Company, receives £500,000 for three electric buses to be used in the Brighton & Hove area.

Bus users in Brighton and Hove will benefit from cleaner and greener journeys as government commits £11m to roll out low emission buses in towns and cities across England.

Local authorities and bus companies in Bristol, York, Brighton, Surrey, Denbighshire and Wiltshire have been awarded the funding under the Government’s Low Emission Bus Scheme to help them buy 153 cleaner buses.

The successful bidders will use the funding to buy new electric and gas buses, and to install stations to fuel or charge them.

The government is determined to clean up air in towns and cities across the country, and the investment in green buses comes after they published their air quality plan last month.

Transport Minister Paul Maynard, said: “I am pleased that our funding will deliver 3 new electric buses for Brighton.”

“The Big Lemon’s plans will make a real difference in cleaning up emissions from buses in the local area.

“New greener buses will be more comfortable for passengers, they are cost efficient and are good for the environment.

The successful bidders are:

♦ The Big Lemon, £500,000 for 3 electric buses to be used in the Brighton area

♦ Denbighshire County Council, Wales – £500,000 for 4 electric buses to be used on services in mid-Denbighshire

♦ City of York Council – £3.3 million for 24 electric buses to be used on park & ride services in York

♦ South Gloucestershire Council – £4.8m for 110 gas buses for services around Bristol;

♦ Surrey County Council, Guildford – £1.5 million for 9 electric buses to be used on park & ride services in Guildford

♦ Go South Coast/Wiltshire County Council – £500,000 for 3 electric buses to be used on park & ride services around Salisbury

The Government’s support for Low Emission Buses is one part of a £600 million package of measures from the Office for Low Emission Vehicles by 2020, plus £270m announced in the 2016 Autumn Statement to support the roll out of low emission cars, taxis and buses and supporting infrastructure.

This follows an initial £30 million awarded to bus companies and local councils in July 2016 under the Low Emission Bus Scheme to help put over 300 more low emission buses on the country’s roads.

Later this year, the Government will also publish plans for a second round of the Low Emission Bus Fund with a view to putting more clean buses on the streets.

X