This article was originally published by Christopher Carey on Cities today, the leading news platform for urban mobility and innovation reaching an international audience of city guides. For the latest updates, see Cities Today Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Youtubeor sign up for Cities Today News.
Oxford and Coventry are expected to be the first UK cities to run their bus fleets entirely on electric power as part of a Department of Transport competition to improve air quality and reduce emissions across England.
The proposals Both cities could receive a £ 50 million ($ 68 million) injection to replace fleets and install new infrastructure such as charging stations and grid updates.
Commenting on the announcement, West Midlands Mayor Andy Street said, “Generating electricity across Coventry’s entire fleet of buses is not only a major boost to public transport in the city, but will also help tackle the climate emergency we are experiencing both faced here in the West Midlands and across the UK. “
The £ 50 million programs will be supported by further investment by local bus operators in the new £ 75 million electric buses.
A total of 19 regions competed for the competition, with applicants having to provide evidence of buy-in from interest groups in their local areas. Outline existing plans to reduce greenhouse gases and improve air quality, and show how your plans would address an existing air quality problem.
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Oxfordshire County Council Chairman Cllr Ian Hudspeth said: “The Oxfordshire offer comes at a time when our Council is determined to take concerted climate action to reduce vehicle air pollution and provide bus services with ours expand Zero Emission Zone and Connecting Oxford Plans.
“This council is committed to providing our residents with a cleaner, greener future through a number of steps including better public transport.”
Go green
In February 2020 the British government announced 5 billion pounds in funding a new “golden era” of bus and active travel.
The five-year package of investment plans to improve bus transport by focusing on a number of priorities including:
- Radio frequency services, including evenings and weekends, to make it easier and less restrictive for people to get around at any time of the day
- More “show up and go” routes that, thanks to a higher frequency, people do not have to rely on timetables to plan trips
- New priority schemes to make routes more efficient so that buses can avoid congested routes and accelerate passengers through traffic
- Cheaper, simpler tariffs
- At least 4,000 new zero-emission buses
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said, “If we can make COVID-19 greener, we can provide people with greener modes of transport and cleaner air.”
“Coventry and Oxford could soon be at the forefront of our plans for a new era of bus travel, helping us build the green transport network of the future and support jobs here in the UK.”
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Published on January 19, 2021 – 08:00 UTC
