Big Boost for Portsmouth and Hampshire as Gov Pumps £200m into Zero Emission Buses
£200 Million ZEBRA Fund Brings 34 Green Buses
The Conservative Government is shelling out £200 million under the Zero Emission Buses Regional Area (ZEBRA) scheme. Portsmouth City Council and Hampshire County Council are set to receive cash to deliver 34 brand-new electric and hydrogen buses. Thousands of passengers stand to benefit from cheaper, cleaner, and more reliable local transport.
Slashing Emissions and Cutting Costs
This fleet upgrade will chop over 57,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide from the air every year. It’s a major step towards the Government’s net zero goals and cleaning up the nation’s transport system. Plus, zero-emission buses are cheaper to run, boosting the bottom line for operators while cutting fares for passengers.
Jobs, Upgrades and a National Bus Revolution
The funding is part of a whopping £3 billion plan to overhaul UK bus services. Expect new priority lanes, simpler fares, integrated ticketing, and more frequent buses. The move will also support bus manufacturing jobs mainly based in Scotland, Northern Ireland, and northern England.
Official Voices on Green Bus Push
“As we commit to slashing emissions and reaching net zero, our local transport network must play its part,” said Caroline. “This funding will deliver 34 zero-emission buses to Portsmouth and Hampshire, helping phase out all polluting buses while upgrading the transport network. These new vehicles will give passengers cleaner, cheaper, and more reliable journeys.”
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps declared: “I will level up and clean up our transport network. That’s why I’ve announced hundreds of millions to roll out zero emission buses nationwide. This will improve passenger experience, support our mission to fund 4,000 clean buses, hit net zero by 2050, and build back greener.”
“Today’s announcement is part of our National Bus Strategy, which will introduce lower fares and drive down public transport costs even more for passengers.”
With almost £71 million already pumped in by ZEBRA, the Government is on course to deliver the biggest bus shake-up in a generation.
