£5m for green buses
Local authorities across England are now able to bid for a share of £5m funding to fit buses with green technology and offer better journeys. The Clean Bus Technology Fund 2015 will allow local authorities to bid for up to £500,000, which the government says is enough to retrofit hundreds of buses reducing NOx emissions and improving air quality. The fund is open for bids until the end of October, with a particular focus on pollution hotspots in cities and urban areas. The winning bids will be announced towards the end of the year.
This funding will be used to fit existing bus fleets with green technology adding to the £20m the government has invested since 2011. Some significant contributions from local authorities and bus operators have also been made to similar local retrofit schemes for different types of vehicles. So far, around 1,500 buses in London and other parts of England have had the equipment installed. Additionally, last year’s Clean Vehicle Technology Fund provided over £8m to councils to upgrade over 1,200 vehicles, including vans, taxis, buses and fire engines.
Transport Minister, Andrew Jones, said, ‘The £5m Clean Bus Technology Fund will provide hundreds of cleaner buses to improve air quality in towns and cities across England and I urge local authorities to submit bids. The funding will also support British industries helping deliver the technology. Today’s announcement continues the government’s commitment to improve air quality by upgrading existing vehicles on the road while also backing the low emission solutions for the future.’