Arriva awarded €5.3 million from EU

Arriva Group has been successful in its bid for funding from the European Union (EU). It has been awarded €5.3 million in conjunction with partner organisations to implement a number of different environmental initiatives across its European businesses. This is part of Arriva’s ambition to help shape a future where passenger transport is considered the best choice.

The funding comes under the banner of the LIFE Programme which is the EU’s funding instrument for the environment and climate action. LIFE gives grants to projects that further the development of European policy in one of four areas: clean energy transition, nature and biodiversity, circular economy and quality of life, climate change mitigation and adaptation.

The funding will be used to support three projects. These include LIFE H20BUS, which will for the first time define a European best practice for water management for bus transport operators by testing and evaluating three different water-saving solutions in two of Arriva’s European businesses in Italy and Hungary.

The RE-BREATH project in collaboration include Arriva Italy and Arriva Slovakia; manufacturer of braking systems, Brembo; Municipality of Bergam and research institute CNR, is to build knowledge and understanding of the emissions caused by public transport vehicles when using their braking systems, which emit non-exhaust micro particles. A new braking system, developed by Brembo, will be tested on Arriva buses in the cities of Bergamo, Italy and Bratislava in Slovakia to measure emissions and system wear. The project will also set out to reduce emissions at bus stops, by identifying improved technologies and examining simple solutions, like smog eating plants and shrubs that can absorb CO2.

The LIFE CICLE project involves four circularity projects, including converting diesel buses to electric, transforming old fishing nets into seat covers, collecting micro rubber from tyres, and building bus stops made of rice husks and oyster shells.