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Scottish Green Bus Fund
17/01/2012
Buses in Scotland are set to become greener thanks to Scottish Government grant funding worth £2 million Transport Minister Keith Brown said today.
The Minister was speaking as he gave the keynote address at the 2012 Transport Conference in Glasgow where he also reaffirmed the Government’s future transport priorities.
The funding marks the latest round of applications for the Scottish Green Bus Fund which open today and is aimed at making services greener, more efficient and easier to use.
Building on the success of last year’s Scottish Green Bus Fund where five bus operators introduced forty eight new low carbon buses, this scheme provides further opportunities to add eco-friendly vehicles to bus fleets. It will also help stimulate demand for green technology in Scotland.
Transport Minister Keith Brown said:
“Our recently published Government Economic Strategy, our Infrastructure Investment Plan, the Regeneration Strategy and our Cities Strategy collectively set out a package of actions to deliver on our overall Purpose and make Scotland a competitive 21st century economy.
“Part of these plans includes our commitment to Scotland’s ambitious climate change legislation and we are already leading the way in the development of low carbon transport technology.
“Our first Scottish Green Bus Fund, issued last year, will see the delivery of forty eight new vehicles with early indications showing substantial fuel savings and reductions in emissions.
"It is therefore essential we build on these successes and commit further funding to help our bus industry invest in the latest emissions reducing green technology.
“This second Scottish Green Bus Fund will do exactly that by giving an opportunity to introduce or add additional green buses to Scottish bus fleets.”
Bus Operators, local authorities and regional transport partnerships are invited to apply for funding to help with the additional up front costs of buying low carbon buses.
Further details about the scheme and how to apply will appear on the Scottish Green bus fund web pages later this week.