Cardiff will soon see even more electric buses operating across the city thanks to an £8 million grant designed to get cleaner vehicles on our streets.
Cardiff Council’s Cabinet has this week (20 October) approved a scheme which will allow bus operators to bid for Welsh Government funds to help increase the number of electric buses in Cardiff.
All bus companies operating in Cardiff could be given the opportunity to bid for the funding.
Both Welsh Government and Cardiff Council want all buses operating in Cardiff to produce zero emissions by 2035.
Councillor Dan De’Ath, cabinet member for strategic planning and transport, said: “The council set out its bus strategy … last year. We want to increase the number of people travelling by bus in Cardiff … by:
Introducing cheaper fares;
Partnering with Transport for Wales to develop an integrated ticketing system which works with the Metro and OVO Bikes;
Getting more low emission buses on the network;
Building the infrastructure to make bus travel easier and quicker, and:
Improving the customer experience.
“The Council has engaged with all of Cardiff’s bus operators to let them know about this exciting funding opportunity. Now that the cabinet has agreed, we will use this feedback from the bus operators to set the criteria for the application process and get these new electric vehicles onto the network as quickly as possible.”
In January 2022, the council worked with the Department for Transport’s Ultra-Low Emissions Bus Scheme to help support Cardiff Bus to bring 36 new electric buses into its fleet. The Department for Transport made £5.7m available through the scheme.
Cllr De’Ath, added: “We all now know how important it is for our health to improve air quality. We also know that we need to reduce the use of private cars if we want to ease congestion. Making public transport a more attractive and viable option is key to helping us do that. We want to make travel by bus quicker, cheaper and easier”.
Comments