If members are interested, enclosed is the Guidance for Bidders for the fourth round of Green Bus funding for deliveries in 2013/2014. £20 million is available which will fund around 300 low carbon emission buses. Each bidder is restricted to a maximum total grant of £5 million.
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Interested bus operators have until 5pm on Tuesday 26 March 2013 to make their bids. Sadly, the government has reduced the grant available to up to 50% of the difference between the cost of a low-carbon emission bus and its diesel equivalent. When the Green Bus Fund first began in 2009, I believe this was 100% of the difference. I really hope a north east operator(s) manages to make another successful bid.
I believe delivery is very imminent for Arriva's MAN EcoCity's at Darlington and Hybrid Volvo double deckers for the 308 (Blyth-Newcastle) route, as a part of the third round of the Green Bus Fund.
Intresting wonder what GNE will bid for, does it mean which company can have up to 5m for buses, only asking because stagecoach have the diffrent regions and go ahead run other companys to.
Hopefully they bid for more buses like on the angel and maybe some single deckers, dont know what they would order
Update:
I hope stagecoach bid for new buses for Sunderland, the MAN buses are starting to become rubbish
GNE need to bid to get rid of older buses
Arriva probleys be the same
I think GNE should invest in new buses for:
WheyAye50 Service 50 which operates from Durham to South Shields via Chester le Street and Washington.
Fab Fifty Six Service 56 Sunderland to Newcastle via Concord and Gateshead.
The Reasons I'd buy new buses for these services are quite simple.
1.) Both services suffer from Capacity Issues, Morely 56 at Peak Times.
2.) The Buses on the 50 are pretty much knackered beyond repair, and they are always braking down somewhere between Chester le Street and Washington. and there always another branded bus on this service e.g. Lime/Lambton Worm or a Northern Decker.
Evidence
http://www.flickr.com/photos/adammalarke...otostream/
This was at Lambton yesterday morning (Broken Gearbox)
3.) The buses on the 50 have suffered to Very long journeys in there 13 years with GNE, Notably on 50/57 and the 527/557 when they were first bought.
There is other service that could do with new buses including the Lime 8/78, but I think the 50/56 are more important. Even if the 50/56 did get new buses in 2013. the buses off the 56 could then go on the 8/78 which result in an improvement of better and recently refurbished Wright Solars for the Service.
The other services would be the 28/28A and the 34/34A which use old DAF Plaxton Prestiges, but knowing what GNE are like this probably won't happen for a while yet.
Thats if they are successful with there bid of course.
Deadline for the Green Bus Fund has passed at 5pm this evening, wonder what GNE have bid for, other that what we already know.
(07 Feb 2013, 12:06 am)Adam Malarkey wrote [ -> ]I think GNE should invest in new buses for:
WheyAye50 Service 50 which operates from Durham to South Shields via Chester le Street and Washington.
Fab Fifty Six Service 56 Sunderland to Newcastle via Concord and Gateshead.
The Reasons I'd buy new buses for these services are quite simple.
1.) Both services suffer from Capacity Issues, Morely 56 at Peak Times.
2.) The Buses on the 50 are pretty much knackered beyond repair, and they are always braking down somewhere between Chester le Street and Washington. and there always another branded bus on this service e.g. Lime/Lambton Worm or a Northern Decker.
Evidence http://www.flickr.com/photos/adammalarke...otostream/
This was at Lambton yesterday morning (Broken Gearbox)
3.) The buses on the 50 have suffered to Very long journeys in there 13 years with GNE, Notably on 50/57 and the 527/557 when they were first bought.
There is other service that could do with new buses including the Lime 8/78, but I think the 50/56 are more important. Even if the 50/56 did get new buses in 2013. the buses off the 56 could then go on the 8/78 which result in an improvement of better and recently refurbished Wright Solars for the Service.
The other services would be the 28/28A and the 34/34A which use old DAF Plaxton Prestiges, but knowing what GNE are like this probably won't happen for a while yet.
Thats if they are successful with there bid of course.
In my opinion, those are the wrong kind of routes (with maybe the exception of the 56) to be using in a bid. The bid needs to be attractive to be successful, as detailed in 3.27. I'd personally say that they'd be looking at something that runs in to/through Newcastle, as the City Council over there have quite aggressive emissions targets themselves in order to keep the Carbon Trust Standard accreditation. Citylink springs to mind for me?
I do agree that Lime, Wagonway, 50 and 34/34A routes need investment by Go North East, but it'd be a bad use of Government money to invest in what are essentially 'secondary' (and IMO unpopular) routes. Investing in the more popular routes would at least allow fleet cascade.
Is the result's out yet for the Green Bus fund?
(10 May 2013, 3:03 pm)Michael wrote [ -> ]Is the result's out yet for the Green Bus fund?
2.13 of the bidding guidance states they expect a decision in May 2013. From my experience of with government contracts and tenders, I tend to find by that they usually mean the end of the month. We should expect some movement soon after though, as 2.14 states that orders have to be placed with manufacturers by 19th July 2013.
Typical London always gets everything....least Sunderland got something.. cant wait to ride them daily
Bit disappointed about TFL getting 94 buses out of it, considering it's so heavily subsidised already. I always think that London will always have an advantage in such bids, due to the GLA/Major's commitment towards a
Low Emission zone within the M25 circle.
One thing I've noticed that is quite interesting, is that the Nottingham City Council bid is £1,517,256 for 15 units. So just over £100,000 each. Compared to that of Stagecoach North East, which was £305,601 for 17 units (just under £18,000 each). Makes me wonder what they're getting for that sort of money, baring in mind the restrictions stated in para
1.5 of the bidding guidance.
Yeh which is a same because small companies could do with the funding to but like always London has to be Number 1...
Doesn't the Goverment know there's other places than london in the UK?
Additional Grants released.
(08 Oct 2013, 9:01 pm)mattdw92 from 'Stagecoach North East Thread' wrote [ -> ]Sunderland councils are to receive a further Green Bus funding for 23 new electric, hybrid or biomethane gas powered buses. Type not specified at this moment. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/green...re-funding
Must actually note, that operator isn't specified. One would assume this is SC due to the successful bid of their Gas Scanias. Time shall tell...
manchester seems to of done well
(09 Oct 2013, 7:41 am)Terence Price wrote [ -> ]manchester seems to of done well
They, glad London isn't getting much of this extra funding
Once again Sunderland have 23 more buses..=D
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/sy...-table.pdf - Bottom page now updated from round 4 -
40 new buses for Stagecoach Sunderland - All confirmed as biomethane
gas