The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has announced that all new buses in the Transport for London (TfL) network will be zero-emission models. The aim is to make the entire fleet zero-emission by 2034 -- or 2030 with the relevant government support.
Transport is currently responsible for a quarter of the British capital's carbon emissions. At the moment, more than 500 zero-emission buses are in operation in London. By the end of 2022, 10% of the entire London bus network will be zero-emission. And with support from the British government, which is keen to reduce carbon emissions, the 2034 target for making the entire TfL bus fleet zero-emission could ultimately be reached as soon as 2030.
The Mayor of London estimates that eliminating CO2 emissions from its buses will save about four million tonnes of carbon by 2037 -- or even five million if the entire network goes emission-free by 2030.
Transport for London is looking to achieve its zero-emission target by moving to green electric and hydrogen-powered buses. Earlier this year, some 20 hydrogen-powered double-decker buses joined the TfL fleet.
Other major cities are also looking to switch to a greener transport offer. In Paris, for example, the Régie Autonome des Transports Parisiens (RATP) has announced that it has ordered 450 100% electric buses, which should be delivered by 2023. These will join the 250 other electric buses currently in use. Plus, of a fleet of approximately 4,700 buses, more than 430 are currently powered by biomethane and 1,115 are hybrids.
