Speed-up zero-emission bus roll-out, urges coalition

A coalition representing bus operators, local authorities, manufacturers and workers has called on the Government to speed up its zero-emission bus roll-out or risk missing key targets.

In a letter sent to the Secretary of State for Transport and the Chief Secretary to the Treasury the signatories call for the Government to use the forthcoming Spending Review to set out a clear roadmap to deliver significantly more buses on an accelerated timetable and ensure funding reflects the full costs of zero emission vehicle purchase and installation of infrastructure.

The Government has so far only provided funding to support the delivery of 900 buses, which the coalition says is well short of the Prime Minister’s 4,000 target for February 2025. The letter warns that without a long-term roadmap meeting the Prime Minister’s pledge will be extremely challenging and the wider transition to zero emission buses more problematic.

The letter is signed by CPT Chief Executive, Graham Vidler; Paul Davies President and Managing Director, Alexander Dennis Ltd; Buta Atwal, Chief Executive, Wrightbus; Robert Drewery, Commercial Director, Switch Mobility; Steve Turner, Assistant General Secretary Manufacturing, Unite the Union; and Jonathan Bray, Director, Urban Transport Group.

“By setting out a fully funded, long-term plan the Government will give all those involved the confidence to invest” – Graham Vidler, CPT

Commenting on the letter, Graham Vidler said: “Operators are committed to transitioning to zero-emission fleets, but this requires long-term planning, especially around infrastructure requirements. By setting out a fully funded, long-term plan the Government will give all those involved the confidence to invest meaning we can make progress towards the shared goal of decarbonising fleets as cost effectively as possible.

“Without it the industry and wider supply chain has to react to short term uncoordinated funding announcements risking missed targets, increased costs and ultimately a bigger bill for taxpayers.”

“Continuing to fund zero-emission buses via sporadic funding pots which local authorities have to waste time and resources competing for is yesterday’s solution” – Urban Transport Group Director, Jonathan Bray

Commenting on the letter, Urban Transport Group Director, Jonathan Bray, said: “An accelerated, long-term and funded plan for the decarbonisation of the UK’s bus fleet will create good green jobs and make a vital contribution to the urgent task of cutting greenhouse gas emissions from urban transport.

“Continuing to fund zero-emission buses via sporadic funding pots which local authorities have to waste time and resources competing for is yesterday’s solution to an urgent problem of today. Instead we need a coordinated and funded plan (which encompasses both the vehicles and the supporting green energy infrastructure) to give the decarbonisation of the bus fleet the same priority that the Government is giving to decarbonising cars.”

Graham Vidler added: “Measures such as a pro public transport message and investment in speeding up bus journeys will help government funding go further as operators see increases in fare revenue. By making bus travel more attractive we will also help reduce the number of cars on our road, which is crucial if we want to meet our challenging climate change targets.”

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Cookies

This site uses some unobtrusive cookies to store information on your computer, these are in place to ensure that you receive the best possible experience when using the Bus & Coach Buyer website.