Government ministers and mayors from across the UK came together to commit to ‘greener transport’ at the fifth meeting of the UK Bus Manufacturing Expert Panel.
The chairs of the meeting, transport secretary Heidi Alexander and local transport minister Simon Lightwood, were joined by the mayors of York and North Yorkshire, the West Midlands and Liverpool, as well as the Scottish transport minister Fiona Hyslop and Scotland Office minister Kirsty McNeill.
The meeting was primarily focused on the future pipeline of zero-emission bus orders to give UK manufacturers ‘the long-term certainty needed to invest and grow’.
Attendees also committed to ensuring that every pound of public money spent on zero-emission buses ‘provides the greatest social benefits’ for both local communities and the economy.
Ms Alexander said: ‘It was great to bring mayors together today for the fifth meeting of the bus manufacturing expert panel, where we committed to building a strong pipeline of future zero-emission bus orders.
‘By mapping out future demand, we’re giving industry the certainty they need to grow – supporting jobs, delivering better buses for passengers, and accelerating our journey towards a cleaner, greener transport system.’
Ms Hyslop added: ‘The future pipeline of demand for electric buses across the UK is essential to support bus manufacturing in Scotland. Whilst the Scottish Government is able to assess demand in our country, potential demand from UK mayoral authorities and other relevant operators is essential.
‘That is why it is so important we see a cross-government approach to consider the future pipeline of demand and why I was pleased to be able to attend and contribute to this extraordinary meeting of the UK Bus Manufacturing Expert Panel in London.’
The efforts to create greener public transport are also being supported by the Bus Services Bill, which is currently progressing through Parliament.
The bill is intended to give local authorities greater control over the planning and delivery of services. It is also designed to introduce new powers to end the use of new diesel buses in England from 2030.
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