More than 400 buses in Birmingham and Coventry are to be fitted with pollution busting technology thanks to grants totalling £4.5 million.
West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) has been awarded the money by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) Clean Bus Technology Fund to retrofit buses with kits that tackle exhaust emissions.
The WMCA received funding for £3 million in Birmingham. This will be matched by £2,920,200 from four bus operators – National Express West Midlands, Diamond, Claribels and First – to install kits on 364 vehicles.
These will be buses running in Birmingham city centre, more than half of which then travel on routes to the Black Country.
Coventry City Council receives £1.5 million under the scheme following its application for funding, with the WMCA as a partner.
This will involve one operator, National Express Coventry, and look to retrofit 104 buses with a £240,500 match-funding contribution by the company.
Cllr Roger Lawrence, lead member for transport on the WMCA, said: “This is fantastic news and a very welcome addition to the bus fleet of the West Midlands.
“Reducing bus engine emissions is key in tackling the hugely important issue of air quality in city centres.
“It is also a priority of the West Midlands Bus Alliance, which is working hard to raise standards across the region.”
Below is a video of a filter kit being installed by engineers from National Express West Midlands.
