Karen welcomes £3.1 million of Government funding for brand new zero-emission buses in Staffordshire.

Moorlands MP, Dame Karen Bradley has welcomed £3.1 million of Government funding for Staffordshire to decarbonise their bus fleet, with the funding ensuring buses are more efficient, comfortable and sustainable.

The funding comes as part of a £143 million investment to roll out 955 zero-emission buses across 25 local councils in England.

The new buses will not only be cleaner, helping improve local air quality for bus passengers and local communities, but they will also be more modern and replace older diesel buses, increasing reliability.

The new state-of-the-art buses will meet Enhanced Accessibility Standards and come with features to improve passenger experience such as wifi and USB charging sockets, providing users with considerably quieter, smoother, and more comfortable journeys.

The funding comes from the second round of the Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA) programme, which will see new electric buses in towns, villages and cities across England, many of which will get zero-emission buses for the first time.

Commenting, Karen said:

“I know just how vital buses are to people across the Moorlands and therefore welcome the news that the Conservative Government is committing a further £3.1 million to improve bus journeys across Staffordshire.”  

Commenting, Transport Secretary Mark Harper, said:

“As part of our plan to improve local transport across the country, we’re providing a further £143 million to improve journeys for bus passengers particularly in rural areas, with almost a thousand brand new, zero-emission buses due to hit the road.

“This latest investment into our bus fleet comes on top of the £3.5 billion we have invested into our bus network since 2020, protecting and improving bus routes into 2025 as well as extending the £2 bus fare cap until the end of 2024, made possible by reallocated HS2 funding.”