£32Mn in funding for e-buses headed to Milton Keynes
Milton Keynes will see the arrival of 60 new electric buses in 2022 after a £16Mn bid by the MK Council in partnership with Arriva has been successful. Another £16Mn will be available through a special finance arrangement that will be offered to MK, bringing funding to £32Mn, nearly €38Mn.
The funding for Milton Keynes comes through the Department for Transport’s ‘Zero Emission Bus Regional Access’ (ZEBRA) scheme. The Dft invited local authorities to submit their electric bus proposals for a share of £120m government investment last March as reported. The project is backed by private investment as well as government grant funding. In the case of Milton Keynes, the city targets carbon neutrality by 2030. The announcement also comes just a week ahead of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow next week.
The parties did not disclose details on the type of buses or charging infrastructure. The statement only mentions an upgraded overnight charging depot facility, with some new vehicles arriving in 2022.
Operator Arriva who is involved in Milton Keynes has been working with electric buses from various manufacturers, including Volvo and the UK’s Alexander Dennis Ltd. (ADL). The latter may be a likely candidate to deliver the new buses since ZEBRA funding requires all buses to be sourced in Britain.
Our request for comment from the MK Council awaits a reply.
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