Arriva, Connexionsbuses, First, Reliance and Transdev to retrofit or replace stock
City of York Council has awarded £1.654m to permit the upgrade of 90 existing buses to Euro VI, and the replacement of three others with new vehicles, as part of the city’s launch of a Clean Air Zone (CAZ) on 31 January.
The CAZ requires any bus entering five or more times per day to achieve Euro VI standards. A sunset exemption period will be in place for those that are due to be retrofitted or retired before 31 January 2021.
The winners are…
Of £1.6m awarded for retrofit, First York takes the lion’s share. It will receive £1.188m to treat 66 buses. Arriva Yorkshire will get £252,000 for 14 vehicles. Connexionsbuses will gain £70,000 for five upgrades, Reliance Motor Services will use £72,000 for a quartet of vehicles and Transdev Blazefield will use £18,000 to retrofit a solitary bus.
Once equipped with retrofit equipment, the buses must then operate on routes serving York’s CAZ for a minimum of five years.
Reliance will receive a further £54,000 towards the cost of three new vehicles to take its total grant to £126,000.
The provision of an exemption for buses that enter the CAZ fewer than five times per day is to help protect rural services. York’s CAZ does not capture coaches; it is strictly for buses only.
“By February 2021 all but a very small number of infrequent services will meet Euro VI,” says Cllr Andy D’Agorne, Executive Member for Transport. He adds that while the CAZ captures an area including and within York’s inner ring road, its benefits will be felt further afield.
Other steps
Besides reducing emissions from diesel buses, 21 battery-electric Optare Metrodecker EVs will enter services on First York’s park-and-ride network over coming months, jointly funded by the operator and the Office for Low Emission Vehicles.
Cars used for non-essential journeys are also set to be banned from York city centre by 2023.
