Leeds City Council (LCC) has so far paid approximately £528,000 to nine non-scheduled coach and bus operators to help them upgrade 33 vehicles in preparation for the city’s Clean Air Zone (CAZ).
The grants are part of £3.7m that has so far been paid by LCC to help businesses make the transition. The Leeds CAZ should have commenced on 1 January but was postponed. In March, LCC will announce an updated go live date. It has already confirmed that it will be no sooner than July.
Funds for coaches and buses equate to an average of £16,000 per vehicle, the maximum available as part of the scheme.
Money can go towards the costs of purchasing a compliant vehicle, retrofitting an existing fleet member to meet Euro VI or paying exit fees from a leasing agreement on a non-compliant model, subject to a new agreement being signed for a compliant replacement.
The closing date for the third round of applications for support for coach and bus was 13 December 2019.
A “large number” of additional grant applications are currently being processed, and thus the £528,000 for coaches and buses is an interim figure. Last year, LCC forecast that it would pay a total of £1.79m to operators of non-scheduled coaches and buses to help them comply with the Leeds CAZ.
LCC says it is likely to open a further funding round for large vehicles “fairly soon”. It recommends that operators interested in taking part register on its website for CAZ updates.
Bids are assessed on a competitive basis, with consideration made of fairness and the impact on air quality.
Recipients must use the vehicle in question within the CAZ boundary, and for the purpose described in the application, for at least three consecutive years. However, they will not be penalised if they cannot fulfil that clause due to contracts expiring and work moving elsewhere, subject to checks and balances.
Register at bit.ly/2HcEVyc
