DfT announces next wave of green bus funding

Transport minister Baroness Kramer reveals that a further £1.4 million has been made available under the Clean Bus Technology Fund

The government has today (October 28) pledged a further £1.4 million to five local authorities seeking to reduce emissions and improve air quality.

Funding is being distributed via the government’s Green Bus Technology Fund, set up by the Department for Transport (DfT).

Funding has been awarded to a further five councils through the Clean Bus Technology Fund

The latest round of funding sees Brighton and Hove, Sunderland, Oxford and York city and Swale borough councils offered grants of between £23,700 and £750,000 to retrofit 92 buses with exhaust emission reduction technology.

All of the authorities have proposed to use selective catalytic reduction (SCR) which uses a reducing agent to convert nitrogen oxide pollutants into nitrogen, water and small amounts of carbon dioxide.

Funding

Commenting on the award of the funding, transport minister Baroness Kramer, said: “This extra funding means more buses can be cleaned up so that they put out less pollution. Dozens of buses in five distinct areas will be improved with the money I am making available today, improving air quality for local communities. It will also boost jobs and growth by helping to stimulate our cutting edge green technology.

“I look forward to seeing the results of all the initiatives under the Clean Bus Technology Fund and I hope other local authorities will follow suit.”

Authorities offered grants under the latest band of green bus funding are:

• Brighton and Hove City Council: £750,000 for 50 buses
• Sunderland City Council and Durham County Council: £275,500 for 19 buses
• Oxford City Council: £199,995 for 11 buses
• Swale Borough Council: £150,000 for 10 buses
• City of York Council: £23,700 for 2 buses

The fund has seen thirty-one local authorities in England (outside of Greater London) bid for grants of up to £1 million to support upgrading buses with pollution-reducing technology on routes where air quality does not meet European Commission standards.

A total of £87 million has been set aside for the fund, which was originally announced by the government in December 2011. An initial £5 million was awarded to 11 local authorities to reduce harmful emissions from 392 buses in August (see airqualitynews.com story), followed by a further £1.1 million to 5 authorities to upgrade 45 buses announced this month (see airqualitynews.com story).