The Mayor of London and Transport for London are set to expand the capital’s green credentials with the latest tranche of its bus fleet retrofit programme.
The announcement will see an additional 400 buses have selective catalytic reduction (SCR) devices fitted to their exhaust systems, in order to lower nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions.
This will take the total number of buses retrofitted with SCR technology up to 1,800, and ensure the 400 chosen for the scheme will achieve Euro-4 standards, reducing NOx production by up to 88%.
Mayor of London Boris Johnson aims to have 8,700 buses retrofitted with SCR technology by the end of 2015, with TfL planning to replace 900 older Euro-3 buses with Euro-6 equivalents. The remit for this programme will be expanded, with this technology set to be fitted to other public service vehicles on London’s roads.
The Mayor has already retired more than 3,000 of the oldest taxis on London’s roads with the implementation of an age limit, and has a set a target of 2018 for all taxis to be zero emission capable. The next phase is to look at the London Fire Brigade and its trucks to see how the retrofit plan can be adjusted for those vehicles as well.
Matthew Pencharz, The Mayor of London’s Senior Advisor for Environment and Energy, said, “The Mayor is taking the most ambitious and comprehensive set of measures in the world to improve London’s air quality.
“At the heart of his plan is the world’s first Ultra Low Emission Zone in Central London from 2020, and just last week he published a road-map to how London can meet European requirements for NO2 by 2020.
“This fantastic world-leading retrofit programme, which we intend to roll out to more public vehicles wherever possible, has a huge roll to play.”
TfL is funding this leg of its retrofit project from its successful application for £500,000 from the Department for Transport’s Clean Vehicle Technology Fund
Baroness Kramer commended the plan, saying, “It is great to see London putting this funding to good use and leading the way on greener vehicles on the city’s streets, including for the first time a fire engine fitted with pollution reducing technology.”
As a part of the roadmap for cleaner air outlined last week, The Mayor has already further tightened the Low Emission Zone regulations for HGVs, buses and coaches, with new rules implemented for large vans and minibuses. He also plans to accelerate the roll out of hybrid buses on London’s roads, with a target of 1,700 in service by 2016.
