Green bus giant

Transport leaders in Greater Manchester are celebrating success in securing low-carbon buses for the region.

Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has been awarded just over £850,000 for three fully-electric buses – believed to be the first of their kind in Greater Manchester – and 10 diesel-hybrid single-decker buses.

TfGM has now received just over £7 million of government money to part-fund 112 green buses, which are used on its contracted services, including the popular Metroshuttles and its dedicated Yellow School Bus routes.

Together with successful bids by operators – with Stagecoach Manchester securing 38 diesel-hybrid double-decker buses in the latest round of the fund – Greater Manchester will soon have more than 280 green buses on its roads.

That’s more than anywhere else in the country, outside London.

The buses are capable of achieving a 30 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to a similar-sized standard diesel Euro 3 vehicle.