ALBUM has prepared a detailed response to the Government consultation on ending the sale of non-zero emission buses.
ALBUM members strongly believe that tackling climate change is vital for us all. We share the wish to reduce emissions from all forms of transport. We know that buses can be part of the solution by making the bus the logical solution for more and more trips. ALBUM members are working with our local authority partners to help make this a reality. Modal shift is the real prize.
Zero-emission buses bring much higher costs: they are more expensive to buy and need the infrastructure in place to support electric or hydrogen charging. This means that financial support from central and local government is vital if we are to avoid higher fares or reductions in services, especially in the smaller urban and rural areas in which many ALBUM members operate. The technology is evolving very quickly. It is not yet suited to longer routes or for the smaller depots and outstations that support many lower-frequency rural services.
Our recommendation is not to set an end date for the sale of non-zero-emission buses until there is much more clarity about the best technology; this was a key theme of the ALBUM conference in April in Blackpool. Challenges have to be identified and solutions found.
We are sure that the Government knows that this is a tough problem; the focus for all bus operators is survival as we build back passenger numbers after the pandemic. ALBUM Policy Advisor, Tony Depledge, says:
“We are keen to work with the Government to scope the challenges and to identify solutions that will benefit the communities that we serve. The transition to a low and zero-carbon future brings many financial, operational and technical challenges. Central and local government and bus operators all have their part to play in tackling climate change while rebuilding and growing the networks that will make buses the transport mode of choice across the country”.