The UK government has invested £25.3 million into zero emission busses, which will be introduced in Yorkshire, Norfolk, Portsmouth and Hampshire.

The government said that the 117 battery electric busses will decarbonise public transport and reduce air pollution in towns and cities.

The funding brings the total to almost £300 million for 1,395 busses in England and is an investment from the Zero Emission Buses Regional Areas scheme (ZEBRA). The initiative was launched in 2021 to allow local transport authorities to bid for funding for zero emission buses and supporting infrastructure.

The government said that zero-emission buses can be cheaper to run and improve operating costs for bus operators.

The busses will be made in Northern Ireland by Wrightbus, with the government saying they will provide hundreds of skilled jobs.

Commenting on the news roads minister Richard Holden said: “Buses are the most popular form of public transport, and these new British-built zero emission buses will support hundreds of high-quality manufacturing jobs in Northern Ireland, grow our economy and help clean up the air in towns and cities across the country.”

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