£30 million fund for the purchase of 'green' buses
July 13, 2009
The Department for Transport has launched a new £30 million fund to promote the purchase of low-carbon buses. The fund is part of a suite of measures devised by the Government to bring about a radical shift to low-carbon transport and improve urban air quality.
Under the new fund, local authorities and bus operators will be able to bid for the money which they can put towards the cost of purchasing low-carbon vehicles. The costs will reduce as more low-carbon buses are manufactured and sold. The hope is that this will inspire new technology, stimulate the market and make the UK a world leader in this particular industry.
Low-carbon buses can be up to 30% more fuel efficient than conventional models and emit nearly a third less carbon. This performance has great potential in terms of improving air quality and reducing the impact of road transport on climate change.
Andrew Adonis, the Transport Secretary, pointed out that, over the past decade, greenhouse gas emissions from buses have risen significantly — hence the need to encourage the development of "green" models. He added that he expected the fund to facilitate the purchase of several hundred low-carbon buses over the next two years. Currently, a mere 0.2% of the buses on the road today are low-carbon models.
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