'Electric bus town' planned by DfT

The Department of Transport has said that it will create Britain’s first all-electric bus town, which will see an entire town's buses changed over to wireless electric vehicles. Country buses meanwhile will be hybrids, using electric power within the built-up area and diesel outside. 

The location is still being discussed with local authorities and operators and will be announced later.

This is part of a package, worth £220 million in the first year, to boost buses.

The package will see many cuts to services reversed. It will create ‘express lanes’ for buses in the West Midlands and elsewhere. It will invest in new ways of providing more frequent public transport in the countryside and other places where conventional buses have dwindled or disappeared. And new apps will also be developed that draw together information on bus routes, fares, and timetables from different bus operators across England into one place.

The government will also commit to the UK’s first-ever long-term bus strategy and funding settlement, including support for local authorities who want to create London-style franchised services in their areas.