Funding from the government to decarbonise public transport funding for zero-emission buses will allow people across the nation, including those in the most rural areas, to travel sustainably and more cleanly.

The Transport Secretary announced funding of up to £129 million to assist local transport authorities in introducing hundreds more zero-emission buses.

These new buses will contribute to the economy’s growth by connecting communities, facilitating work or school commutes and boosting UK manufacturing.

The government has prioritised the first £25 million for rural communities so that more areas of England can benefit from green technology, especially in remote areas where constructing the infrastructure required for the buses is more costly.

The Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA) 2 programme is now accepting bids from all local authorities in England (outside of London), with applications from those who did not receive funding in the previous funding phases being prioritised so that more people can benefit from this clean mode of transportation.

Today, the Transport Secretary also announced the launch of a new research centre supported by £10 million from the Department of Transport, National Highways, HS2 Ltd, Network Rail, and UK Research and Innovation.

Newcastle University, Heriot-Watt University, the University of Cambridge, and the University of Glasgow have received funding to establish the Net Zero Transport for a Resilient Future Hub, where they will develop innovative ideas to ensure that future transport infrastructure will be low-carbon and resilient.

Mark Harper, Secretary of Transport, stated: “The funding announced today for additional zero-emission buses will contribute to the decarbonisation of public transport and the economy’s expansion by keeping our communities connected. We have already reached our initial funding goal of at least 4,000 zero-emission buses, and this additional funding will enhance travel for even more passengers, including those in remote areas.”

“With this new investment in climate resilience, the UK also solidifies its position as a global leader in net-zero technology. Our Net Zero transport centre will be a centre of academic excellence, enabling us to maintain the future resilience of our transport network.”

Minister of Transport Richard Holden stated: “It was a pleasure to visit Alexander Dennis and observe the impact of our £129 million investment on the British bus manufacturing industry.”

“This brings our total investment in new zero-emission buses to almost £500 million, helping to kick-start a new generation of bus manufacturing in the UK and generate good, high-quality jobs from Scarborough to Falkirk.”

“We are leading the way by ensuring that the UK can benefit from high-skilled manufacturing and providing cleaner public transport for passengers nationwide.”

This second phase of the ZEBRA programme builds on the success of the first funding round, which funded 1,300 ZEBs.

The government has met its initial goal of funding 4,000 zero-emission vehicles (ZEBs) by investing millions of pounds; this latest funding announcement brings the country closer to a completely decarbonised fleet.

Since 2020, £3.5 billion has been invested in enhancing bus services. Recently, the government announced a £500 million boost to restrict fares at £2 until the end of October 2024 and protect routes through 2025. 

This helps people save on travel expenses and improves transport connections to stimulate economic growth.

Paul Davies, director of Alexander Dennis, stated: “It was a delight to welcome the minister to our Scarborough factory, a prime example of how government investment in zero-emission buses can benefit communities nationwide when it benefits domestic manufacturers like ours.”

“We provide tens of thousands of skilled employment and apprenticeship opportunities in an industry committed to a prosperous future for all.”

“Our electric buses of the next generation are prepared to support councils’ ZEBRA 2 applications, including the innovative Alexander Dennis Enviro100EV, which is ideally adapted to provide zero-emission mobility to rural communities.”

Alison Edwards, Director of Policy for the Confederation of Passenger Transport, stated: “We applaud the government’s decision to increase funding for zero-emission transport. Buses play a significant role in assisting the UK in meeting its decarbonisation objectives.”

“We are delighted that the prioritisation of rural bus services during the bidding process acknowledges these operators’ difficulties. CPT has established a Rural Zero Emission Bus Taskforce to combat these issues. This task force will endeavour to identify rural areas’ required practical solutions.”

The funding for the research centre will be used to develop new methods of modelling cities and towns and to better understand how essential structures such as bridges and rail lines can withstand extreme weather events such as flooding. 

The hub will collaborate with local governments and the private sector to identify opportunities that will make it simpler for people to travel with more options and less disruption.

By establishing the technology in the UK, the research hub will create new research employment and develop a highly skilled workforce through upskilling training.

Professor Miles Padgett said: “Communities and economies can only survive with a well-functioning, low-carbon transport infrastructure.”

“This investment will maintain the UK at the front of the green industrial revolution and accelerate the transition to a secure and prosperous green economy.”

Professor Phil Blythe CBE, professor of Intelligent Transport Systems and leader of Newcastle University’s Future Mobility Group, stated: “We are thrilled to have been awarded the centre, which will serve as the national research centre for decarbonising and hardening our transport infrastructure.”

The hub will engage in extensive outreach to bring together the leading academics from across the UK and their civic and industry partners so that we can focus on understanding the underlying science and engineering. 

This enables us to tackle these real challenges and provide the models that will assist us in comprehending the impact, identifying the most suitable solutions, and generating innovative concepts to ensure that future infrastructure is resilient and low-carbon.