More zero-emission buses in £25m government plan

Zero-emission buses are due to become more common on our roads with the government placing an order for 117 more

More environmentally-friendly buses will be on the roads as part of a £25m government bid to clean up the air.

People across Norfolk, Portsmouth, Hampshire, West Yorkshire and York council areas will be able to catch one of 177 new zero-emission buses.

They will be made in Northern Ireland, with the government saying they will sustain high-skilled jobs.

The project is part of a wider £300m rollout of 1,395 greener buses.

The latest vehicles will be operated by First Bus and are part of a drive to decarbonise public transport and clean up air in towns and cities.

The Department for Transport said the new additional funding took the "vision of a net zero transport network one step closer to reality".

Norwich will become home to one of the country's first fully electric bus depots outside of London when it takes delivery of 70 new buses next year.

Fifteen single-decker buses had already been agreed for Norfolk when £3.3m of funding was approved in March 2022.

The councils benefiting from the latest announcement are:

• Norfolk County Council will receive £11.5m for 55 extra zero-emission double-decker buses (ZEBs)

• Portsmouth City Council and Hampshire County Council will receive £6.2m for 28 more ZEBs

• West Yorkshire Combined Authority will be handed £5.7m for 25 extra ZEBs

• City of York Council will receive £1.9m for nine more ZEBs

The government said the project was part of its wider £3bnNational Bus Strategy to improve bus services, with new priority lanes, lower and simpler fares and more journeys.