The Scottish Government has announced that investment is being committed to the delivery of new net-zero transport measures.
Thanks to a new, innovative, consortium, 252 new zero-emission buses will be delivered for Scotland, being supported by £41.7 million worth of Scottish Government funding. Alongside this, a nationwide charging network will be rolled out to be used by buses, coaches and HGVs. The investment that is being committed comes as part of the second, and final, round of the Scottish Zero Emission Bus Challenge Fund (ScotZEB 2).
ScotZEB2 brings businesses from across the bus, energy and financial sectors together to build on the £113 million of investment that the Scottish Government has already committed to zero-emission buses and the supporting infrastructure.
First Minister John Swinney said:
“Supporting zero-carbon buses as a sustainable means of public transport across Scotland will connect communities and open up new economic and social opportunities.
“This investment will deliver 100 new inner-city bus routes and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 600,000 tonnes over the lifetime of the fleet by encouraging more people to swap the car for efficient public transport, which is crucial to reaching net zero by 2045.
“Every £1 from the Scottish Government will leverage £3.20 of private sector investment - demonstrating that our shared decarbonisation goals can be met by working together when it comes to removing carbon emissions from our bus and coach fleets.
“All bus and coach operators, including those operating in smaller towns and communities, will benefit from both the novel approach to financing and the Scotland-wide charging network that will be delivered, helping other modes of transport make the switch to electric vehicles too.”
This investment complements other UK-wide projects to roll out zero-emission public transport. The devolved government in Northern Ireland has invested around £100 million in buses and related infrastructure, whilst the Department for Transport’s Zero Emission Buses Regional Areas scheme allocated funding to councils around the country, including in Yorkshire, Oxfordshire, and Greater Manchester.
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