Government has announced a £5 million initiative, called the Clean Bus Technology Fund, which will allow local authorities across England to upgrade their buses to use greener technologies. The announcement comes just eight days after the Department for Transport (DfT) announced £12 million funding for 213 new low carbon buses.
The scheme, announced today by the Local Transport Minister, Norman Baker, will allow authorities to improve their current fleet of buses by retrofitting more efficient engines, exhaust after-treatments and hybrid or alternative fuel conversions. Each authority is able to bid for grants of up to £1 million to, which will be used to upgrade the technology used on routes where the air quality does not currently meet European standards.
Norman Baker said, “Improving air quality is important for the coalition government. This £5 million scheme will help clean up emissions from older buses in some of our most polluted urban areas.
“It will lead to real improvements in air quality on some of our more polluted streets, as well as helping stimulate jobs and growth in the bus and retrofit industries. In addition it will give British companies the opportunity to market new technologies to overseas bus operators and governments.”
Today’s announcement also follows a £5 million DfT grant, match funded by the Mayor of London, to carry out upgrades to 900 older London buses that operate on routes with some of the worst air quality.
More information on the DfT Clean Bus Technology Fund can be found here.
