TfGM wins clean air award

David Ives, Transport for Greater Manchester Fleet Manager, (centre) receives the Local Authority and Public Sector Air Quality Initiative of the Year award from Steve Eminton, Editor of AirQualityNews.com, and Donna Lyndsay, Commercial Director, EarthSense

Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) won the Local Authority and Public Sector Air Quality Initiative of the Year title for its ‘Clean Air for Schools’ programme at the National Air Quality Awards on Thursday 10 November.

‘Clean Air for Schools’ targets the tailpipe emissions from 41 of TfGM’s fleet of 93 Yellow School Buses, delivering significant environmental benefits and reducing children’s exposure to harmful air pollutants.

Funded through the Department for Transport’s (DFT’s) Clean Bus Technology Fund, the programme involves the retro-fitting of innovative air pollution control equipment to diesel Yellow School Buses.

Emission tests were carried out on buses before the pollution control systems were fitted and again after they had been on the road for at least a year.

The results showed a 99% reduction in nitrogen oxide level – far higher than the 50% minimum target set by the DfT – with a 93% reduction in particulates, 99% in hydrocarbons and more than 97% in carbon monoxide.

Mayor of Greater Manchester, Tony Lloyd, said: “Tackling air pollution and carbon emissions in Greater Manchester is a key priority.

“Public transport must play a major role in our efforts to improve air quality and reduce our carbon footprint.

“This important award win for TfGM is thoroughly deserved. Thanks to the Clean Air for Schools initiative, the reduction in emissions from each of the buses equates to taking 16 new cars off the road.

“With complementary efforts from private bus operators, Greater Manchester now has more green buses than anywhere else in the UK outside London, building on the great work taking place across the region to improve air quality.”