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Greater Manchester is among 12 local authorities in England that will receive a share of £200 million to increase the number of zero-emission buses on the roads.
The funding, provided by the Department of Transport’s Zero Emission Buses Regional Area (ZEBRA) scheme, will support local authorities to roll-out nearly 1,000 new, greener buses and make public transport cleaner through electric or hydrogen powered vehicles.
The government investment is part of a 2020 commitment to fund a further 4,000 zero-emissions buses in the UK as the country looks to meet climate targets. This funding announcement is expected to remove 57,000 tonnes of annual CO2 emissions, and 22 tonnes of NOx emissions.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said:
“Not only will this improve the experience of passengers, but it will help support our mission to fund 4,000 of these cleaner buses, reach net zero emissions by 2050 and build back greener.
“Today’s announcement is part of our National Bus Strategy, which will introduce lower fares, helping drive down the cost of public transport even further for passengers.”
Martin Griffiths, Chief Executive of Stagecoach, one of Greater Manchester’s main bus operators, said:
“We welcome today’s announcement, which will complement the significant investment and initiatives by operators as we work together to transition to a zero-emission bus fleet and help the country achieve its net zero ambitions.
“Stagecoach has already started its journey towards our target of a fully zero emission UK bus fleet by 2035, and there is also a major opportunity to deliver cleaner air by people switching to more sustainable public transport, cycling and walking.
“Britain’s buses have an exciting future ahead, helping decarbonise the country, as well as driving economic recovery and levelling up our communities.”