{"id":55515,"date":"2024-02-16T13:45:32","date_gmt":"2024-02-16T13:45:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/shefnews.co.uk\/?p=55515"},"modified":"2024-02-16T14:21:14","modified_gmt":"2024-02-16T14:21:14","slug":"a-report-has-been-passed-to-invest-in-electric-buses-to-support-the-clean-air-zone","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shefnews.co.uk\/index.php\/2024\/02\/16\/a-report-has-been-passed-to-invest-in-electric-buses-to-support-the-clean-air-zone\/","title":{"rendered":"Investment into electric buses to support the Clean Air Zone approved"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Sheffield council will tackle the “silent killer” of pollution by investing into electric buses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A council meeting on Wednesday passed the report to increase decarbonised, quality buses around the city to combat the issue of unclean air and poor transport.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The decision has been made to reduce Sheffield\u2019s carbon footprint and improve bus services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Councillor Ben Miskell, Chair of the Transport, Regeneration and Climate Policy Committee said: \u201cIt\u2019s really important that we have the clean air investment plan to protect some of the most vulnerable in society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe know that dirty air is a silent killer in our city, and we have to deal with it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(MORE INFO) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Councillor Andrew Sangar, Sheffield Liberal Democrat spokesperson on the issue said: \u201cWhen you knock on doors anywhere in the city people will grumble about two things, they will grumble about the state of the buses \u2013 that they\u2019re not reliable enough and that they don\u2019t go where they want them to go, and the city centre.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Sheffield Town Hall<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Amanda Cosgrove who has done work on the Clean Air Zone proposed an investment of \u00a31m into the fund.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This was passed at the meeting and no councillors objected to the passing of the report.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Group Spokesperson Denise Fox expressed concern for Sheffield\u2019s hilly terrain as opposed to Leicester, where electric buses have already been a success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, charging equipment for the Sheffield City Connect service is already in place with e-charging funding for 65 buses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As well as converting to an electric fleet, the aim of the report is to make all vehicles compliant with regulations for decarbonisation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tom Finnegan-Smith, Head of Strategy, Transport, Sustainability and Infrastructure said: \u201cOf November 2022, we\u2019re in a position where the majority of our private hire vehicles in the city are compliant, with only 6% of the fleet being non-compliant.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now that the report has been passed, action will be underway to fund electrical buses though Mr Miskell could not comment on the time scale he expects for this conversion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the same meeting Sheffield City Council decided to implement two 20mph speed zones in residential areas to improve air quality and safety around schools.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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