Transport for London (TfL) has passed a major milestone of more than 1,000 zero emission buses picking up customers in the capital.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan says he is “committed to cleaning up London’s air achieving net-zero carbon by 2030”, which includes delivering a zero-emission bus fleet by 2034.
The public transport network says that with continued government investment, this target could be achieved by 2030.
Through the decarbonisation of London’s bus network, TfL will save an estimated 4.8m tonnes of carbon by 2034 or an estimated 5.5m tonnes of carbon by 2030 with government funding.
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Since 2016, the number of fully zero emission bus routes has increased from five to 54, with a further 15 routes using a mixture of zero emission and low emission buses. The number of zero emissions buses on London’s roads has seen an increase of over 3,000% since 2016, moving from 30 to 1,000 buses.
TfL director of buses Louise Cheeseman said the milestone is a “significant moment” in TfL’s journey to achieving net zero.
“Buses carry up to 80 times the number of people as a car, make efficient use of road space, and cut emissions by both taking polluting private vehicles off the roads and offering up a green alternative,” she added.
TfL has set out a Bus Action Plan, which sets out how to attract more bus users and an attractive alternative to cars by focusing on the experience for all customers, safety and security, faster journeys, improved connections, and decarbonisation and climate resilience.