For years, TfL and environmentalists have been campaigning for cleaner air in London, which has seen the introduction of the Ultra Low Emission Zone and drastic improvements to cycling infrastructure. Buses have also been key to reducing the amount of pollution in London’s air, keeping cars off the road and therefore reducing congestion as well. But they are not all green themselves. Out of London’s fleet of over 8000 buses the vast majority still run on diesel, meaning they’re still emitting fumes and particles which can be particularly damaging to people’s health. This is, however, changing.

 

Recently a handful of routes in Southeast London became available for tender, meaning their operator could change. TfL usually awards routes to the cheapest operator but in recent years have also started to award contracts to operators who propose the use of cleaner vehicles. As a result of a recent tender, routes 63, 132 and 160 will all be going electric from as early as September 2021, which will see electric buses in the outer southeast suburbs for the first time ever. Route 180 will also be receiving cleaner buses, most likely Euro 6 compliant hybrid vehicles.

 

Once these new buses arrive, the ones they are replacing will either displace other buses older than themselves, go to other parts of the country or be offset onto other routes that their operator has just won. If they are old enough, they will be scrapped or stored. Since most of the buses which operate on the routes in subject are 5 to 10 years old, they will likely displace older and more polluting buses on other London routes.

 

Although it may not seem important, it definitely is. Operators will have to install charging facilities at their garages, which could prompt them to make some electric only, bringing more electric buses onto other local routes. It may also encourage more people to take the bus as a clear carbon-neutral source of travel. But the most important change, at least in the short term, is cleaner air. Double decker buses are some of the biggest and heaviest vehicles on the road, which proves that anything their size or smaller also has the capability to go green.

 

Of course, the number of cars on the road is a bigger issue for many more reasons other than air pollution, but changes to cars and the way we use them can’t happen overnight. Too many love them too much and some people have a genuine need to use them. We do, however, have a brilliant opportunity to make public transport green and prioritise environmentally friendly methods of getting around - and the prioritising of new electric buses on routes shows a clear initiative from TfL to utilise this opportunity and pave the way to a green future.