Manchester invests in electric buses
Alongside the new electric bus acquisition, Manchester has also set aside funds for the required charging infrastructure for electric buses. Specifically, of the £86 million, 51.1 million pounds will go into the bus procurement, as well as the acquisition and installation of the appropriate charging infrastructure. Another £5 million will go into local traffic management measures.
Buses will not be the only vehicle type included in the clean air measure, as £8 million will be invested to help Manchester’s taxis transition to cleaner vehicles. Another major investment of up to £21.9 million will be set aside for “administration, delivery, monitoring and other associated costs.”
The measure’s authors also aim to receive more local feedback on the measures and have communicated with local leaders and given them permission to “review and cancel contracts relating to the Clean Air Zone, such as signs and cameras.”
“Having completed the groundbreaking Bee Network buses, Greater Manchester is making fantastic progress in building a modern, sustainable and truly integrated transport network,” said Minister for the Future of Roads, Lilian Greenwood, adding: “Manchester will be able to reduce pollution from transport without having to charge motorists, and new, cleaner buses will help Mancunians get around easily while still bringing down emissions across the city.” The Bee Network was initially launched in September 2023, servicing Wigan and Bolton with electric buses.
Greenwood is not the only politician proud of being able to save CO2 emissions without introducing a low-emissions zone, such as London has done, as the Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham said: “Because we have implemented the first phase of the Bee Network on time and on budget, the Government clearly trusts us to deliver and has seen the evidence that our approach is working. The Bee Network is cleaning up our air and keeping the cost of travel as low as possible. Its success is allowing us to remove a big weight of worry off the shoulders of people who need to drive as part of their job.”
A major reason cited for the investment fund is that the UK has legally-binding nitrogen dioxide (NO2) targets to hit “an annual average of no more than 40 micrograms per cubic metre.” Local councils have been given the job to “determine “determine the quickest and most effective way to do that.” However, they will not be alone with the work, as “the Government works with local authorities to ensure proposed plans address nitrogen dioxide pollution in the shortest time possible, delivering better environmental outcomes for residents.”
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