Transport Insights

It looks like the government’s approach to funding zero emission buses is copying its approach to electric vehicle chargers – talk a good game without actually promising anything.

When the Department for Transport issues a press release that says:

Government ministers and metro mayors commit to greener transport and greater job opportunities across the regions

the vague language totally undercuts the claim of a commitment, and indeed there is no commitment.

The non-story is that the fifth meeting of the UK Bus Manufacturing Expert Panel:

focussed on the future pipeline of zero-emission bus orders, in order to give UK manufacturers the long-term certainty needed to invest and grow.

Apparently there were

plans advanced to ensure a 10-year pipeline of zero-emission bus orders.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said:

By mapping out future demand, we’re giving industry the certainty they need to grow – supporting jobs, delivering better buses for passengers, and accelerating our journey towards a cleaner, greener transport system, while delivering our Plan for Change.

The trouble is, the government hasn’t said anything publicly about what future funding will look like.

The Tories had two “ZEBRA” schemes to fund zero emission buses, with £270m and then £143m but Labour has so far announced just £38m and fully electric buses only make up around 7.5% of the fleet in England.  

And then a commitment that includes not a “by” date but a “no earlier than” date:

The push for cleaner bus travel is also supported by the Bus Services Bill, which is currently progressing through Parliament. The Bill will give local authorities more control over how services are planned and delivered, while introducing new powers to end the use of new diesel buses in England from no earlier than 2030.

I think we can expect further watering down of the phase out of new diesel buses, perhaps pushing this date back, or allowing hybrids to continue to be sold, as Labour tries to show how “pro-business” it is.