Nottinghamshire is set to benefit from four new electric buses worth £900,000 – due to hit the roads in 2020. Buses Minister Nusrat Ghani announced today that Nottinghamshire Council County are one of only three regional organisations who have secured funding from the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) to help fund new green vehicles and infrastructure.
Nottinghamshire County Council, Trent Barton, Nottingham City Transport are all successful bidders and will receive funding to purchase new low emission buses and support infrastructure, such as charge points.
County Councillor John Cottee, Chairman of the Communities and Place Committee, said:
“This is fantastic news. This latest £900,000 funding means we can add to our electric bus fleet by introducing four new buses to serve local communities in the Rushcliffe and Mansfield areas. We hope to see these vehicles on the road in 2020. “Even more bus passengers in Nottinghamshire will therefore benefit from the quieter, sleek and pollution-free buses, thanks to zero emission bus technology which will help improve air quality and reduce CO2 emissions.
“We are match funding this Government money as its hoped that this investment will encourage further take up of electric buses by bus operators as well as encouraging more people to use the bus.
“Our current two electric buses, which were introduced last summer thanks to a previous round of Government funding, are already serving residents across Stapleford, Toton, Attenborough and Beeston.”
Gary Mason, Nottingham City Transport, Engineering Director said: “With 53 Bio-Gas double deck buses already successfully operating in Nottingham and making a significant impact on reducing emissions in the city, this announcement for funding to expand our gas refuelling station paves the way for investment by NCT in a further 67 Bio-Gas double decks to join the fleet this year.
“This fleet of 120 Bio-Gas double decks, coupled with the retrofitting of exhaust treatment systems to our diesel buses, demonstrates NCTs support for cleaning up Nottingham’s air, contributing to Nottingham City Council’s overall clean air strategy.”
This is the latest funding in a long line of investment designed to drive the uptake of zero emission vehicles, following the Government’s £1.5 billion Road to Zero strategy published last year.
In line with the Future of Mobility Grand Challenge – set out in the government’s modern Industrial Strategy – these measures chart a path for Britain to become a world leader in the zero-emission revolution, ensuring that the UK has cleaner air, a better environment and a stronger economy. But buses are not just about cleaning up the air in our region. As a key mode of transport for older and vulnerable people, buses play a vital role in facilitating social connections.
Speaking at the UK Bus Summit today, the Minister 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.