Labour pledges every bus to go electric by 2030

EVERY bus on England’s roads will be electric-powered by 2030 under a Labour government, the party has pledged.

It will use the announcement of a £4bn investment to put the cuts to bus services back in the spotlight as part of its final push to persuade voters to back Jeremy Corbyn on polling day next week.

Switching to electric buses would reduce emissions by more than 70 per cent and contribute towards Labour’s ambitious target of eradicating most carbon emissions within a decade.

At present, there are 35,000 buses in use in England and only 700 of those are electric and mostly serving London, according to the party.

Mr Corbyn said: “This policy will bring our bus services into the future and help to revitalise our high streets and rebuild local communities.”

The party leader said voters he has met on the campaign trail have been vocal about the issue of bus service cuts.

He added: “The Westminster bubble doesn’t care about buses but cuts to bus routes leave so many people isolated, stuck at home and unable to make vital trips out.

“Away from London, many people have approached me in this election to talk about their local bus route closing down.”

The £4bn investment, spread over 10 years, will come out of the £250bn Green Transformation Fund which will be paid for through borrowing.

The pricing is based on the cost of buying electric buses and reimbursing bus owners whose conventional petrol or diesel vehicles have to be retired before the end of their road life in order to meet the 2030 phase-out deadline.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said Labour promises to revive bus travel are not deliverable. “Labour’s war on the motorist continues apace. Labour won’t be able to deliver a modern bus network because they would raid the roads budget and scrap vital new roads and upgrades to fund their fantasy giveaways,” he added.