£9.75m to retrofit almost 600 buses and coaches in Scotland

The Scottish government has awarded £9.75m worth of funding to help 19 coach and bus companies to retrofit 594 vehicles. 

This funding comes before the introduction of Low Emission Zones across Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, in May 2020 the government postponed the introduction of these zones, however, when the Low Emission Zones are introduced individuals will only be able to drive vehicles that meet a certain standard of emissions. 

Therefore, in order to help bus and coach operators to prepare for these changes, the government has offered £9.75m to enable companies to retrofit their existing fleet. 

The retrofit technology helps to reduce nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter pollution through the installation of specialist exhaust technology. The retrofits will enable the vehicles to comply with the latest Euro VI standard. 

The government has said that not only will this technology reduce harmful emissions and air pollutants but it will also benefit the businesses who specialise in retrofitting, thus helping to drive a green recovery. 

Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity Michael Matheson said: ‘The Bus Emission Abatement Retrofit Fund benefits Scottish retrofit businesses, our wider bus sector and helps protect public health.

‘It’s a high-impact fund which provides a powerful combination of immediate economic stimulus to our valued bus and coach sector and supply chain, whilst supporting our strategic air quality objectives by helping operators to comply with forthcoming Low Emission Zones.

‘Each fully occupied bus in our towns and cities can remove the equivalent of 75 cars from the road. That is why buses are part of the solution to tackling congestion, improving air quality and reducing transport emissions — and it is why we are also funding bus priority infrastructure and providing additional support through our Scottish Ultra-Low Emission Bus Scheme for greener and cleaner buses.

‘For the lifespan of the current fleet, retrofitting offers immediate air quality benefits, making the vehicles compliant with the proposed emission standards of Scotland’s Low Emission Zones — which are vital in our efforts to protect public health from the harmful effects of air pollution in our city centres.’

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