Government launches £5m clean vehicle fund

Councils and public bodies can apply for £500,000 toward vehicle upgrades to reduce emissions in areas of poor air quality

Grants of up to £500,000 towards upgrading vehicles to reduce emissions are available to councils and public bodies under a new government fund announced today (June 3).

Announced by transport minister Baroness Kramer, the £5 million Clean Vehicle Technology Fund is aimed at reducing vehicle emissions in areas of poor air quality.

Under the fund, public bodies will be able to apply for grants to upgrade vehicles to improve emissions

It allows local authorities to apply for funding to improve other vehicles in their fleets, providing they are used predominantly on local roads with poor air quality, the Department for Transport’s (DfT) said.

The new scheme, which looks to extend grants beyond buses, builds on the £7.3 million awarded last year across 26 local authorities through the DfT’s Clean Bus Technology Fund (see airqualitynews.com story), which helped modify over 500 buses.

Commenting on the fund, Baroness Kramer said: “This is our latest step in a major programme of measures to make our air cleaner. We are raising the bar and making sure that the ongoing trend of improving air quality continues.

“This £5 million will mean less harmful exhaust fumes from buses, and other vehicles, in some of our most polluted urban areas. This funding will also secure jobs and growth in the industries delivering the technology.”

Local authorities have been sent a letter from the minister outlining the requirements for entering a bid for funds. It states that the deadline for applications to the fund must be received by Friday July 25 2014.