Stagecoach East Scotland has been awarded £1.15m by the Scottish Government to upgrade buses to the cleanest diesel standards.
The funding from the Bus Emissions Abatement Retrofit (BEAR) programme will help Stagecoach retrofit 63 buses and bring them up to the latest clean Euro VI standard.
The Perth-based bus giant said the latest Euro VI buses emit fewer emissions overall than a Euro 6 car, as well as having up to 20 times the carrying capacity.
Douglas Robertson, managing director of Stagecoach East Scotland, said: “Scotland’s buses are central to delivering cleaner air in our communities and saving the thousands of lives lost every year to air pollution.
“Buses are also vital in renewing our economy and keeping our communities connected, helping deliver a green recovery from Covid-19.
“As well as our own extensive investment in cleaner technologies for our own bus fleet, the biggest opportunity to clean up Scotland’s air is from people switching from polluting single person car trips to more sustainable shared public transport and active travel.
“Every bus journey includes walking, which contributes to better health and well-being.”
Stagecoach said it is leading the deployment of cleaner technologies, including electric, hybrid electric and hydrogen-fuelled buses.
It has invested more than £1 billion in 7,000 new greener vehicles in the past decade.
The Scottish Government awarded over £9.75m to 19 bus and coach operators to retrofit 594 vehicle exhausts over the next financial year.
Cabinet secretary for transport, infrastructure and connectivity, Michael Matheson, said: “The Bus Emission Abatement Retrofit Fund benefits Scottish retrofit businesses, our wider bus sector and helps protect public health.
“It’s a high-impact fund, which provides a powerful combination of immediate economic stimulus to our valued bus and coach sector and supply chain, whilst supporting our strategic air quality objectives by helping operators to comply with forthcoming Low Emission Zones.”
