Industry News
UK cities to get low carbon buses through £30m fund
4th December 2009
The Department for Transport today announced the winning bids for the £30m Green Bus Fund allowing bus operators to buy
low carbon buses and support a UK-wide shift to low carbon transport. The winning bus operators and local authorities will
now be able to buy 349 low carbon buses, stimulating the development of the green technology industry. The buses will
begin to run in main UK cities and some rural areas from next summer, with all in service by March 2012. Most are hybrids,
but the fund will also support the purchase of at least 55 new electric buses.
Low carbon buses use at least 30% less fuel than conventional buses, but account for less than 0.2% of buses on the road
today. The government plan aims to lessen the impact of road transport on climate change as well as support the UK market
for low carbon buses. The orders generated through the fund will provide a welcome boost to UK manufacturing, with an
estimated 1,000 jobs safeguarded as a result of the investment.
On the winning bids for the fund, transport minister Sadiq Khan said, Both the environment and British industry are
receiving a major boost from this £30m fund. It gives the initial support needed to stop the rise in bus CO2 emissions
we've seen over the last ten years. It will also give UK bus manufacturers the certainty they desperately need to allow
them to keep their skilled labour force and continue to lead the way in green innovation.
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