A NEW fleet of zero emission buses could be rolled out in Bradford if a £23 million bid to Government is approved.

The funding would pay for 111 green buses in Bradford, Wakefield and Leeds, which would be introduced in 2024.

West Yorkshire Combined Authority, made up of five local authorities, has submitted the massive bid for funding from the Department for Transport to become a Zero Emissions Bus Regional Area.

The bid has long been in the planning stages at the Authority, and if it is successful, it will deliver 47 double-decker buses for Arriva, 32 single-decker buses for First and 32 single-decker buses for Transdev across Bradford District, Wakefield and Leeds.

The ZEBRA bid is part of the Authority’s ambition to introduce zero-emission buses across the region, helping to reduce harmful emissions.

This includes £4 million allocated to introduce zero-emission buses in Kirklees and Calderdale, funded through the Transforming Cities Fund.

It also complements West Yorkshire’s Bus Service Improvement Plan.

Last year it was revealed that 75 per cent of buses in Bradford met greener, Euro 6 emission standards. However, these buses would go even further, using electric and battery technology instead of petrol and diesel.

Three quarters of Bradford's bus fleet now meets greener targets

Tracy Brabin, West Yorkshire Mayor, said: “When I was elected Mayor, I pledged to improve public transport by introducing greener buses to improve the environment. If our ZEBRA bid is successful it will mean an almost tenfold increase in the number of zero emissions buses running on our roads, from two per cent now to over 10 per cent of the total West Yorkshire bus fleet.

“As well as making this bid, I’ll continue to work with bus manufacturers, operators and the Department for Transport to bring more zero emission buses to West Yorkshire and make them a common and welcome sight on our roads.”

The £23 million bid to the Department for Transport would be matched by a £33 million contribution from the bus operators.

Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe, Chair of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority’s Transport Committee, said: “I’m pleased to see our three largest bus operators, Arriva, First and Transdev, working together with the Combined Authority on this bid. If we’re successful it will bring state-of-the-art zero-emission buses to Bradford and Wakefield for the first time.

“This bid forms an important part of our Bus Service Improvement Plan, which aims to bring improvements to passengers before and during their travel, making the bus an attractive alternative to cars for short trips and commuting as well as reducing harmful emissions along congested corridors.”