City council encourages bids for grant funding to buy electric buses and achieve all-electric fleet years ahead of target.
Leicester City Council is on course to entirely electrify its fleet of buses by the end of next year – well ahead of the government’s target of 2030. Indeed, Leicester Buses One Network Partnership had previously committed to an all-electric fleet by April 2028.
To achieve the target so early, operators within the partnership are invited to bid for up to £5m of grant funding that can be put towards buying new electric buses. The grant will pay up to 75% of the cost difference between new electric and diesel buses, plus up to 75% of associated charging infrastructure costs.
Leicester already boasts 190 electric buses in operation – about three-quarters of the entire network. A further 60 are on order, to come into service by March 2027. The new grant funding will fund up to 30 more, covering the remainder of the network.
The zero-emission buses feature advanced accessibility tech including hearing loops and audio-visual next bus stop announcements. Other tech-based improvements to the bus service through the One Network Partnership include camera-enforced bus lanes, automatic ‘best fare’ ticketing with day and weekly capping, and electronic information on buses and all boarding stops.
The electric buses also boast additional wheelchair/buggy space, and are instantly recognisable in the distinctive green ‘One Network’ brand.
The grant money has been allocated to Leicester City Council to promote its recently approved One Network bus plan, which aims to a fully electric, frequent, reliable, easy and great value service.
Cllr Geoff Whittle, Assistant City Mayor for Environment and Transport, says: ‘This is great news for public transport users, the new Leicester Buses One Network Partnership plans to deliver a further £75m investment into local bus services. This will accelerate our delivery of a fully electric network, which we expect to achieve in 2027. We are now working with operators in the partnership, seeking bids for up to £5m of new grant funding to help expand their electric bus fleets.’
Photo courtesy of Leicester City Council.
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