Half of city's buses now run on electricity - council

The council said the addition of more electric buses had cut pollution levels in Leicester

Half of the buses serving Leicester are now electric-powered, the city council has said.

The authority said it had reached the landmark with 134 zero-emission buses running on city bus routes.

It aims to make every bus in the city electric by 2030 in a bid to cut pollution.

However Leicester's mayor Sir Peter Soulsby said it would cost £86.5m to fully electrify the city's bus network and warned there were "serious challenges" in getting the funding required.

Leicester mayor Peter Soulsby said full electrification of the bus network could not be achieved without further government cash

Council transport bosses met Department for Transport (DfT) officials and city bus operators on Wednesday to discuss future plans to try to boost the number of passengers.

"We have achieved a lot so far," Sir Peter said.

"But we must persevere with the task of making sure buses are a viable alternative to the private car in our city.

"Funding is a serious challenge. We are grateful to the government for putting its money where its mouth is and providing funding, and to the city's bus companies for matching investment, to get us where we are.

"But there is much more to do and it cannot be done without additional support."

The government has said it will continue to help electrify Leicester's buses

The council this week unveiled a new five-year plan for the city's bus network which includes expanding the park and ride scheme, offering discounted fares to more young people and some work places as well as increasing frequency of services.

On Wednesday, First Bus revealed it would add an extra 9,000 seats to its fleet's capacity in Leicester in August with more hours of services in the evenings.

It and Arriva said they had recently added 58 new electric buses to their services in the city.

Local transport minister Simon Lightwood said: “Passengers in Leicester deserve an efficient, modern and sustainable bus network, and it’s fantastic to see that half of the Leicester bus fleet is now zero-emission.

"Our Better Buses Bill will help Leicester continue transforming its local bus fleet by empowering local leaders to finally give passengers the reliable, clean and affordable bus services they can truly rely on.”

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