Brighton and Hove Buses plans electric buses to cut pollution

Diesel buses are set to be replaced with 16 electric buses as part of a bid from Brighton and Hove City Council and Brighton and Hove Buses – if approved by the Department for Transport.

They will come with new charging infrastructure from the government’s Zebra 2 fund, which will provide £129 million towards zero-emission buses between 2023 and 2025.

Western Road and North Street are one of the most polluted areas in Brighton (Image: Sussex News and Pictures)

Councillor Trevor Muten, chairman of the city council’s transport and sustainability committee, said: “With transport accounting for a third of carbon emissions in the UK, investment in zero-emissions transport is an important part of our journey towards a sustainable, clean, equitable and accessible transport system.

“Data has shown that parts of the city have declining levels of air quality in recent years that can impact the health and wellbeing of residents, so we must act now to tackle this challenge and reverse this trend.”

Some of the city’s highest emissions have been recorded along bus routes – and it is hoped the new electric buses will cut back on the pollution rates.

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Cllr Muten added: “Brighton and Hove was recently named as a global leader for climate action on the Carbon Disclosure Project Cities A List, but there is still much more work to do in order to achieve our ambition of becoming a carbon neutral city. 

“We have one of the best used bus networks in the country, with residents making more bus journeys per head of population than anywhere else outside of London. 

“High quality, frequent and reliable buses are vital to the success of the city, helping to reduce congestion and improve air quality. Fully electric buses will help drive air quality improvements and decarbonise our popular public transport.”

The new buses will be more accessible, including an induction loop for passengers with hearing aids and a flexible space in addition to the mandatory wheelchair space suitable for a second wheelchair user or multiple pushchairs or prams. 

The Department for Transport will provide up to 75 per cent of the cost difference between a zero-emission bus and a standard conventional diesel bus and up to 75 per cent of the cost of supporting infrastructure.