Hundreds of electric buses coming to Yorkshire after £200m funding announcement - here's where

West Yorkshire is to receive £24m for 111 zero-emission buses, with North Yorkshire receiving £7.8m for 39 buses and South Yorkshire getting £8.3m for 27 such vehicles. York Council has secured £8.5m towards 44 zero-emission buses.

The North Yorkshire funding will see all route 36 buses between Leeds, Harrogate and Ripon converted to zero-emission operation as part of investment alongside operator Transdev, which runs the Harrogate Bus Company.

Money has been received through the Government’s Zero Emission Bus Regional Area (ZEBRA) fund, which is delivering almost 1,000 new green buses across the country.

Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, said: “When I was elected, I pledged to improve public transport by introducing greener buses to improve the environment. This funding, matched by £33 million funding from the local bus operators, will allow us to introduce new zero-emission buses to Bradford, Wakefield and Leeds and take the number of such buses in the West Yorkshire fleet to over 10 per cent per cent.

“A green, zero-emission bus system is a core element of the Combined Authority’s long-term vision for buses in West Yorkshire. We’ve already allocated £4 million of our own funds to introduce zero-emission buses in Kirklees and Calderdale, funded through the Transforming Cities Fund, and I’m delighted that the Department for Transport has matched our ambitions.

“I’ll continue to work with bus manufacturers, operators and the Department for Transport to bring more zero emission buses to West Yorkshire.”

South Yorkshire mayor Dan Jarvis said: “This is a huge step in making our bus system fit for the future. Cutting edge new zero emission buses will help attract people back onto public transport. They will cut pollution on our streets that is implicated in 17,000 premature deaths across the UK. They will help us reduce the carbon emissions that are fuelling a global climate crisis. And they will cut our operating costs, freeing up money for better services.

“I’ve always argued that our ambition for our buses should be nothing less than a world-class service. This is only a beginning, but it sets us on the right path for that transformation. Now we need to build on it.”

The Government has set a target of funding 4,000 zero-emission buses across the country – which the Prime Minister promised in 2020 to “drive forward the UK’s progress on its net zero ambitions” and to “build and rebuild those vital connections to every part of the UK”.

More than £70m was announced last year to support 335 new zero emission buses in five areas, with a further £50m to help Coventry become the UK’s first ‘All Electric Bus City’.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: “I will level up and clean up our transport network. That’s why I’ve announced hundreds of millions of pounds to roll out zero emission buses nationwide. Not only will this improve the experience of passengers, but it will help support our mission to fund 4,000 of these cleaner buses, reach net zero emissions by 2050 and build back greener. This announcement is part of our National Bus Strategy, which will introduce lower fares, helping drive down the cost of public transport even further for passengers.”

Martin Griffiths, Stagecoach Chief Executive, said: “Britain’s buses have an exciting future ahead, helping decarbonise the country, as well as driving economic recovery and levelling up our communities.”

Four of the 12 areas whose business cases were approved for the latest round of funding are in Yorkshire. The full list is:

Norfolk

North Yorkshire

Portsmouth

Blackpool

Nottingham

Greater Manchester

Hertfordshire

South Yorkshire

Oxfordshire

West Midlands

York

West Yorkshire

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