BOOST FOR SCOTLAND’S GREEN BUS FLEET

The successful bidders from the fourth round of the Scottish Green Bus Fund are announced today.

Around £2 million has been awarded to Stagecoach East and Lothian Buses towards the cost of buying new low carbon buses.

Over the last three years the Scottish Green Bus Fund has allowed bus operators to purchase 94 low carbon buses, which are able to deliver 30 per cent reductions in greenhouse gas emissions as compared with typical Euro III diesel buses, along with significant fuel savings.

Transport Minister Keith Brown said:

“I would like to congratulate the successful bidders of this year’s Scottish Green Bus Fund which encourages the purchase of low carbon vehicles.

“The Scottish Government is committed to public transport and to our ambitious climate change target of reducing carbon emissions by 42 per cent by 2020.

“This fund is helping our bus industry invest in the latest emission reducing technology and is another clear indication of our support and commitment to the bus industry in Scotland.

“Low carbon transport benefits us all through an improved environment and a strong public transport network plays a part in this, as well as cutting congestion on the roads and making them safer for all users.”

The Scottish Green Bus Fund aims to cut greenhouse gas emissions, improve air quality and accessibility and encourage modal shift.

Bill Devlin, Engineering Director at Lothian Buses, said:

“We’re committed to developing our use of hybrid buses and this support will take our total number of hybrids in Edinburgh to 65 by early 2015. We’ve seen significant passenger growth on our existing hybrid routes and I have no doubt that the new vehicles will continue to tempt people from their cars and onto buses for short urban journeys where the environmental savings can be very significant.”

Sam Greer, Stagecoach Regional Director for Scotland, said:

“We are a leading investor in hybrid vehicles across Scotland and the UK and we're pleased to be introducing these new vehicles for passengers in East Scotland. Sustainability is at the heart of our business and we believe that, by investing in new cleaner, greener vehicles we can continue to attract more people on to our bus services to help reduce pollution and congestion in our towns and cities."

ENDS