The Confederation of Passenger Transport today welcomes a £38 million investment by the Department for Transport to support 12 local authorities in expansion of zero emission bus fleets. The funding – which will be backed up by at least three times the amount of private sector investment – will help to deliver 319 new zero emission buses over the next two years.
Buses are the UK’s most popular form of public transport, carrying more than 11 million passengers a day. The bus industry is making swift progress towards a zero emission future – more than 3,000 electric or hydrogen fuel cell buses are already on the road in the UK and six out of 10 new buses registered in the UK last year were zero emission.
Alison Edwards, Director of Policy and External Relations of the Confederation of Passenger Transport, said:
“Investment to help bus operators reach net zero is essential in keeping people and communities connected. Every £2 of public funding has the potential to unlock upwards of £5-6 of private investment – supporting the UK’s position as a global leader in the transition to zero-emission vehicles.
“The manufacture and roll-out of decarbonised buses in Britain is a positive example of the public and private sectors investing in partnership for the benefit of fare-paying passengers and local communities.
“Buses are a lever in achieving the Government’s missions of kickstarting economic growth and breaking down barriers to opportunity. In the upcoming Spending Review, the government has a clear opportunity to demonstrate its commitment to sustainable, accessible public transport – and buses are at the heart of that vision.”
(Pic: Go Ahead)
