Bradford and Sheffield will benefit from a combined \u00a328 million in extra government funding for zero-emission bus procurement via allocations that are in addition to transport money for local authorities announced at the Spending Review.<\/p>\n
Of that, \u00a320 million is for Sheffield and \u00a38 million is for Bradford. In both places, the vehicles that will be funded sit alongside wider work to roll out bus franchising by the South Yorkshire Combined Authority and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, respectively.<\/p>\n
The Department for Transport (DfT) advises that the number of buses that the money will go towards is not yet known, and nor are manufacturers. In 2024, \u00a325.4 million awarded to local transport authorities in the East Midlands via the second round<\/a> of the Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas scheme was cited as part-funding 177 vehicles.<\/p>\n On sourcing the Bradford and Sheffield buses, DfT notes that the money will \u201csupport jobs in engineering, construction and green manufacturing, boosting regional economies and delivering the government\u2019s plan for change.\u201d<\/p>\n The \u00a320 million for Sheffield complements \u00a311.5 million already allocated to zero-emission bus procurement<\/a> by Sheffield City Council using unallocated Clean Air Zone (CAZ) funding and surplus income from that scheme.<\/p>\n Bradford \u2013 which also has a CAZ \u2013 is already in line for battery-electrics, with Transdev Blazefield having ordered 15 Mercedes-Benz eCitaros<\/a> for the Shuttle between the city and Keighley.<\/p>\n Local Transport Minister Simon Lightwood underlines how the \u00a328 million will support manufacturing jobs, with DfT noting that around 60% of vehicles part-funded by previous zero-emission investments have been procured from domestic builders.<\/p>\n Mayor of South Yorkshire Oliver Coppard adds that new zero-emission buses in Sheffield \u201cwill be a vital part of our fleet as we bring our bus network back under public control from 2027<\/a>, creating a fully integrated transport system and a future where South Yorkshire leads the way in clean, connected travel.\u201d<\/p>\n