Bus industry has received lots of funding and support for improving air quality – coaches are to be the next focus, says LowCVP MD
With funding and the widespread clean air plans for many English cities, there has never been a better time for the bus industry to embrace the range of support available, says Andy Eastlake, Managing Director of the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership (LowCVP).
Operators have a number of options to comply with clean air zones (CAZs) and low emission zones (LEZs), says Mr Eastlake, but there are only two that helps improve air quality – buy new vehicles or retrofit existing ones.
He discussed the option of retrofitting, explaining that only Clean Vehicle Retrofit Accreditation Scheme (CVRAS)-qualified systems are guaranteed to be CAZ- and LEZ-compliant.
“Don’t believe everything you read,” he warns. “There are all sorts of claims and snake oils out there but be sure to check that it’s CVRAS-accredited. If it’s not on that list, it doesn’t meet the requirements and you will be charged for entering the zones.”
Developed by the LowCVP and administered by Energy Saving Trust, the scheme offers a ‘a really robust way of validating retrofitting systems’.
“We then have a process of monitoring the system out in the real world, so we have evidence that the retrofits are delivering to the same level as the Euro 6 OEM products,” Mr Eastlake adds.
With the bus industry in a good position in terms of support, funding and progressive stance, the next focus is coaches, says Mr Eastlake.
Eminox is now offering the first CVRAS-accredited retrofit solution for coaches (see page 48), there is more to come and the LowCVP is working with manufacturers to support this.
