Rebecca Harris MP has welcomed £4.8 million of Conservative Government funding for Essex County Council to decarbonise their bus fleet, with the funding ensuring buses are more efficient, comfortable and sustainable while improving local journeys. 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 state-of-the-art buses will meet Enhanced Accessibility Standards and come with features to improve passenger experience such as Wi-Fi 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. This investment follows over £270 million to 16 Local Transport Authorities (LTAs) and councils from the first round of ZEBRA funding, bringing the total Government support to roll out zero-emission buses to more than £413 million across 41 Local Transport Authorities. The new zero-emission buses will also drive on smoother roads thanks to £8.3 billion, enough to resurface over 5,000 miles of roads in England over the next decade, the biggest ever funding boost to improve local roads–made possible by reallocated HS2 funding.

This will mean better bus journeys for people across the country, as well as growing the economy, as the Conservative Government sticks to the plan to improve everyday life and deliver a brighter future
for all.

Commenting, Rebecca said:

“Buses are vital to people across Castle Point, helping people to get to work, school, and appointments–and making those journeys as reliable and comfortable as possible makes a real difference to people.

“That is why I am delighted the Conservative Government is committing a further £4.8 million to improve bus journeys across Essex, meaning more modern and reliable fleets.”

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.”