Questions to the Mayor of London – answered at on 18 March 2021.
By which date will all London buses become zero emission?
My Transport Strategy commits to have a zero-emission bus fleet in place by 2037 at the latest. Due to the pressing nature of the twin dangers of air quality and the climate emergency, I’ve asked Transport for London (TfL) to look at how this date may be brought forward to 2030 as part of a sustainable funding deal for TfL. As part of this commitment to cleaner air, the core bus fleet now meets Euro VI emissions and there are over 430 zero-emission buses – this is expected to increase to around 700 by the end of this year.
The transition to a zero emission bus fleet requires a substantial investment. Zero emission buses currently cost around 50 per cent more than equivalent internal combustion engine buses and London has the largest bus fleet in Europe. Upfront investment is also needed in bus garage power upgrades and charging infrastructure across nearly 80 sites. Given the Government’s recently announced target to reduce carbon emissions to 68 per cent of 1990 levels by 2030, it is vital that the Government work with us and help fund this investment in the UKs low carbon future. This will secure and grow good green manufacturing jobs across the UK.