A £82million deal has been signed that will deliver a fleet of 159 new battery electric buses to Oxfordshire in September.

Last March, Oxfordshire County Council was awarded £32.8 million from the government’s Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA) scheme.

Along with £6million from the council itself and £43.7million from bus companies Stagecoach and the Go-Ahead Group, which includes the Oxford Bus Company, Thames Travel, and City Sightseeing Oxford, the scheme will deliver the electric buses and the infrastructure to charge them.

Following the signing of contracts between the bus companies and the manufacturers confirmation of Oxfordshire’s ZEBRA scheme has now been finalised.

READ ALSO: Oxford police place cordon around sandwich shop van

Councillor Andrew Gant, Oxfordshire County Council’s cabinet member for Highways Management, said: “This is a huge boost in the move towards creating a sustainable, decarbonised public transport system, and improving air quality.

“We believe that, along with other schemes proposed in the county, this new fleet of electric buses will transform our public transport system and encourage more people to travel by bus.”

Rachel Geliamassi, managing director for Stagecoach West, said: “We're excited to be announcing this major milestone for Oxfordshire, which will be a major step forward in improving air quality across the region." 

Luke Marion, Oxford Bus Company managing director, added: “This ground-breaking plan and significant investment will radically improve air quality in Oxford. We look forward to continuing to work with key partners to deliver this ambitious project, which will make bus travel an even better option for getting around our city."

Oxfordshire was one of only 12 local authorities to successfully apply for ZEBRA funding and is one of the biggest schemes in the country.

All the new buses are being manufactured in the UK and are expected to arrive by March 2024.

It will be one of the largest orders outside London and will mean that most services across the Oxford Smartzone will be operated by battery electric buses.

Roads Minister Richard Holden said: “We’ve already invested hundreds of millions of pounds to kick-start the rollout of zero emission buses nationwide, and it’s great to see Oxfordshire County Council, Stagecoach and Go-Ahead Group making use of our funding to transform its fleet to electric.

"This move will boost UK manufacturing, drive down emissions and improve bus services for people across the region.”

READ ALSO: Oxfordshire's best schools: Sunday Times rankings revealed

Councillor Louise Upton, cabinet member for health and trransport, Oxford City Council, said: “Air pollution is a major cause of poor health in Oxford and cleaning up our bus emissions is an important step towards better air quality for everyone who lives, works, and visits Oxford.

“Buses are a vital part of how many people travel around Oxford, especially the 30 per cent of Oxford residents who do not own a car.

"Let’s not underestimate the importance of the county’s proposed congestion-busting traffic measures in giving the bus companies the confidence to invest in these electric buses.

"Hopping on a brand new electric bus, with free WiFi and stop announcements for the partially sighted, will make bus travel a much more attractive option for everyone.

“We are looking forward to seeing these new buses on Oxford’s roads as part of a zero emission bus network. It all helps to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and fulfil our aim of cutting the city’s carbon footprint.”

Transport is the largest contributor to nitrogen dioxide (NOx) emissions in Oxford, accounting for two thirds of the total emissions, with both diesel cars and buses contributing to roughly one third of the transport emissions each.

The arrival of the 159 electric buses is expected to support a further drop in NOx levels as well as reduce noise pollution and help the county reach net zero carbon by 2050.

 

 

A message from our Editor

Thank you for reading this story and supporting the Oxford Mail.

If you like what we do please consider getting a subscription for the Oxford Mail and in return we’ll give you unrestricted access with less adverts across our website from the latest news, investigations, features, and sport.

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Tik Tok for more. 

You can also join the conversation in our Facebook groups: stay ahead of traffic alerts here, keep up to date with the latest from court here, share your favourite memories of Oxford here, get your daily dose of celebrity news here and take some time out with news that will make you smile. 

If you’ve got a story for our reporters, send us your news here. You can also list an event for free here. 

 

Subscriptions from Oxford Mail Subscribe to the Oxford Mail