Green light given to electric buses and infrastructure in Hull

Hull City Council's Cabinet has given the green light for plans to purchase 40 electric buses and the allocation of around £2million for charging infrastructure, following a successful bid to the Government.

It comes as part of an effort to support the rollout of these vehicles in Hull, including for local bus operators and the council's own fleet.

In December 2023, a joint bid was submitted to the Government's ZEBRA2 (zero emission bus regional areas) scheme by the council, Stagecoach, East Yorkshire Buses and East Riding of Yorkshire Council. The bid was successful, with nearly £6m awarded in March.

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Despite buses only contributing a small percentage to overall emissions, transport is currently the UK's largest carbon emitter, with over 200 diesel buses regularly operating in Hull.

The Cabinet's approval marks a significant step forward, paving the way for both Stagecoach and East Yorkshire Buses to replace parts of their existing fleets with fully electric buses. These buses, which operate on public routes in the city, run on rechargeable batteries and can cover several hundred miles.

Unlike their diesel counterparts, these buses are charged externally, typically at the depot after service hours, and produce no carbon emissions or nitrogen oxides. This not only helps combat climate change but also contributes to improved air quality.

Electric buses are not only quieter and provide a smoother ride, but they're also easier to maintain.

Councillor Mark Leronimo, who holds the cabinet portfolio for transportation, roads and highways at Hull City Council, stated: "As a council, we are committed achieving net zero by 2045.

"These new electric buses will play an important part in combatting climate change by replacing parts of the existing diesel fleet on 16 of the 46 routes in the city. Electric buses are greener and cleaner and will have a transformative impact on public transport throughout the city.

"There are currently no electric or hybrid buses operating on public bus services in Hull so, in addition to the environmental benefits, the new vehicles will have a wider impact by changing how our residents, and visitors to the city, see buses and help encourage, and increase, passenger demand.

"The council's capital investment towards infrastructure costs will act as a springboard for both bus operators to introduce electric buses in the city and support them to make future investments in fleet replacement."

Ben Gilligan, the managing director of East Yorkshire Buses, said: "The news that we have funding to bring zero emission buses to Hull is a fantastic for our city and will make a real difference to the quality of the local environment due to the elimination of tailpipe emissions and reduced noise. This is a step change for the users of buses and will encourage more people to make the switch to sustainable transport modes."

Matt Cranwell, the managing director at Stagecoach East Midlands, added: "The bus operators in Hull are making a major capital investment in new electric buses to take public transport into the next era of cleaner, quieter, and more environmentally friendly service delivery. The council's funding commitment towards infrastructure costs was a significant factor in the success of the Hull Bus Alliance submission for the Department for Transport's ZEBRA grant."

"Buses underpin the local economy by providing essential transport connections for people to reach employment, education, healthcare and retail services, which makes investing in sustainable transport an important strategy for the future development of Hull."