Go Ahead for £500m on hundreds of new electric buses

Bus operator announces plan to fund up to 1,200 zero-emission electric buses over next three years 

Go Ahead has announced plans to invest half a million pounds in new electric buses – a major step in the wider transition to greener public transport. The move is expected to provide 500 manufacturing jobs, with a further 2,000 jobs across the wider supply chain by 2026. The investment will also see a dedicated manufacturing line and develop a with Wrightbus, the bus manufacturing company based in Northern Ireland. 

Photograph courtesy of Go Ahead Group

The new buses will be deployed in locations currently served by Go Ahead, including London, Gloucestershire, Plymouth, the Isle of Wight and East Yorkshire. The Department for Transport (DfT) has said in every town and city where the buses are deployed, 10 trees will be planted per new vehicle manufactured. 

To coincide with the announcement, today Louise Haigh, Secretary of State for Transport, will meet with Wrightbus owner Jo Bamford and chief executive Jean-Marc Gales, and other industry leaders. As well as underlining the government’s commitment to the decarbonisation of local transport – a key aspect of the forthcoming Buses Bill – it is believed that Ms Haigh will announce plans to create a new expert panel on UK bus manufacturing, bringing together key figures in industry with local leaders to agree on ways local authorities can deliver of transport ambitions and embrace opportunities offered by new tech. The DfT says further details will be confirmed in due course. 

The Transport Secretary is also working to secure investment in the UK transport sector, and next week will hold meetings with global business leaders at the new government’s first international investment summit.  

Louise Haigh, Secretary of State for Transport, says: ‘The number one mission of this Government is growing the economy. The half-a-billion pounds Go-Ahead is announcing today shows the confidence industry has in investing in the UK. 

‘This announcement will see communities across the country benefit from brand new, state-of-the-art green buses – which will deliver cleaner air and better journeys. We’re creating the right conditions for businesses to flourish, so we can support jobs and accelerate towards decarbonising the transport sector.’ 

Matt Carney, Chief Executive of Go-Ahead Bus, adds: ‘This multi-million-pound investment and partnership with WrightBus will accelerate the transition to zero-emission fleet across the UK. We are proud to be working in partnership with the UK Government and local authorities to deliver transformational environmental change for communities, while supporting UK jobs and the growth of the country’s supply chain.’ 

In related news:

Solving the copper shortage by mining our own homes – new report 

Interview: Mapping safe cycle routes across Oxfordshire

LED traffic lights in Nottingham – more reliable, fewer faults