Mr. Robert AinsworthTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what plans he has to promote the use of low or zero-emission vehicles for public transport services; and if he will make a statement;
(2) what plans he has to promote the use of low or zero-emission public transport service vehicles to improve air quality in cities; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. KeyThere are no plans to promote low or zero-emission vehicles specifically for public transport services. However, the Department of Transport, in recognition of the contribution that motor vehicles make to urban pollution, will continue to set increasingly stringent emission standards for all motor vehicle categories. We are also conducting research to evaluate the role that alternative fuels and control technologies could play in minimising vehicle emissions.
Last March, I announced a £1.2 million collaborative project involving the Departments of Transport, Trade and Industry, and Environment and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, to trial alternative fuels. This project will compare panel vans and urban buses using compressed natural gas, liquid petroleum gas, electricity and biodiesel with conventional fuels. Sixteen 476W buses are being converted using funds exceeding £200,000 from local authority budgets, £116,000 of which was allocated by the Department of Transport.
In parallel studies, the Department is assessing the effectiveness of various emission control technologies, including particulate traps, that could also help achieve lower emissions.