Scottish Government invests £42m in bus decarbonisation

First Minister John Swinney has announced a “crucial” multi-million pound investment to back the launch of a new fleet of green buses.

The £41.7m cash injection will support eight operators in delivering 252 buses as well as a national charging network for use by all buses, coaches and HGVs.

Swinney said: “This investment will deliver 100 new inter-city bus routes and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 600,000 tonnes over the lifetime of the fleet by encouraging more people to swap the car for efficient public transport, which is crucial to reaching net zero by 2045.”

Transport is responsible for almost 30 per cent of Scotland’s total greenhouse gas emissions, according to the most recent figures from Transport Scotland.

And passenger cars account for more than 40 per cent of all transport greenhouse gas emissions.

The private sector will match government funding, the first minister has confirmed.

Every pound the government invests will leverage £3.20 of private sector investment.

The group of operators will be led by London-based electric fleet supplier Zenobē, which already has more than 100 vehicles in Scotland and has committed £750m to battery energy storage systems in the region.

This funding completes the final round of subsidy from the Scottish Zero Emission Bus Challenge Fund (ScotZEB 2), building on the £113m the Scottish Government has already invested in zero-emission buses and supporting infrastructure.

Launched in 2021, ScotZEB aims to encourage the market to implement “new and innovative” ways to finance zero-emission buses.