Transport minister announces another £1.4 million for green public transport initiatives
Transport Minister Humza Yousaf (above) announced the details of this latest round of funding for public bus services during a visit to Lothian Buses Annandale depot this week. It was an opportunity for the Minister to see Lothian’s new all-electric vehicles which take to the roads this weekend.
A further £1.4 million has been awarded through the Scottish Green Bus Fund (SGBF) as part of the Scottish Government’s bold new ambition to encourage growth of ultra-low emission vehicles and reduce transport emissions.
Mr Yousaf said: “I am delighted to announce that £1.4 million has been awarded in the latest round of the Scottish Green Bus Fund, to support the purchase of 47 new buses between four companies. Through seven rounds of the SGBF, the Scottish Government has awarded £16.2 million, resulting in 362 new low carbon emission buses within the Scottish fleet.
“This is all part of our commitment to reduce carbon emissions in transport and improve air quality. We are committed to increasing the use of public transport in Scotland and to meeting our ambitious climate change target of reducing carbon emissions by 42 % by 2020.
“It is incredibly encouraging to see the steps that are being taken by the industry to get more Euro 6 engine and electric vehicles on to the road. We know that a Euro 6 bus produces 95% less Nitrogen Oxides (NOx), than a Euro 5 and the particulate emissions are also better.
“I hope that many more bus operators continue to take advantage of similar funding in the future, so that companies and communities can both benefit from modern low emission vehicles.”
Lothian Buses is launching a fleet of six brand new fully electric vehicles. At an investment of over £2.7million, the new Wrightbus Street Air single deck buses will operate on Lothian’s Service 1 route which carrries around 1.8 million customers each year. The new buses go on the road tomorrow.
The service runs through Edinburgh’s central air quality management area, and the investment cements Lothian Buses’ commitment to reduce emissions and improve air quality in the area. The company will add a further five electric vehicles to the service next year, making it the capital city’s first fully electric route.
Richard Hall, Managing Director of Lothian, said: “We fully support the Scottish Government and City of Edinburgh Council’s strategies to improve local air quality. The introduction of full electric buses to this route, combined with our on-going fleet replacement strategy ‘BUS2020’, ensures that we as a business are doing our part to improve air quality across the city.
“These buses are not only fitted with zero emission technology, they are also quieter and smoother, offering a better customer experience for the thousands of customers who travel with us every day.
“Electric Bus technology is here and we need to embrace it and ensure that it is part of our future fleet and business planning strategies, it absolutely has a place alongside traditional diesel and hybrid technologies.”
Transport Minister Humza Yousaf added: “I am delighted to be able to join Lothian in the launch of their new electric buses. It is fantastic to see operators like Lothian investing in their fleet in a way that supports both their passengers and the environment through new low carbon and electric vehicles.
“Lothian have benefited through the Scottish Green Bus Fund and I would encourage all operators to continue to consider the various grants that the Scottish Government and Transport Scotland can provide.
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