£143m for councils to deploy new zero-emission buses

Twenty-five councils will receive a share of £143 million funding to deploy zero-emission buses, the government has announced.

The funding comes from the second round of the Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA) programme, which will see new electric buses in towns, villages and cities across England, including the most rural parts of the country, many of which will get zero emission buses for the first time.

The government has prioritised the first £40 million for rural communities where the journey towards decarbonising buses is in its early stages,

Transport Secretary, Mark Harper, said: "As part of our plan to improve local transport across the country, we’re providing a further £143 million to improve journeys for bus passengers particularly in rural areas, with almost a thousand brand new, zero emission buses due to hit the road."

The new state-of-the-art buses will improve the passenger experience, providing users with considerably quieter and more comfortable journeys.

Alison Edwards, Director of Policy and External Relations at the Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT), said: "CPT welcomes this support from government to help accelerate vital public and private investment in new zero emissions vehicles and charging infrastructure.

"The transition to a zero emission bus fleet is a huge opportunity for Britain to lead the world in creating a modern zero emission bus network that offers a growing number of passengers one of the most sustainable forms of transport."