263 new ultra-low emission buses to be introduced

A £48 million investment from the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) will fund new green vehicles and infrastructure to drive forward government plans to clean up the air in towns and cities.

Nineteen successful bidders across England and Wales will receive funding to purchase new low emission buses and supporting infrastructure.

These include Brighton and Hove Buses, which plans to introduce 20 hydrogen buses with an approved bid for £3,610,435, Cardiff City Council (36 electric buses, £5,356,000) and Transport for London (63 electric, £3,456,000) .

This is the latest funding following the government’s £1.5 billion Road to Zero strategy published last year.

Speaking at the UK Bus Summit this morning, Buses Minister Nusrat Ghani also announced a new partnership with Greener Journeys to reflect the pivotal role played by the bus industry in tackling loneliness and social isolation.

The partnership will see companies across the sector pledge to do all they can to tackle loneliness, including through innovative vehicle design and initiatives to encourage bus passengers to talk to each other.

Buses Minister Nusrat Ghani said: "Buses are far more than a way of getting from A to B. They are a crucial tool in the fight against loneliness and it is good to see the industry taking steps to tackle isolation. I’m delighted to see the bus industry putting itself at the forefront of this."