(05 Nov 2022, 12:42 pm)Unber43 wrote I hope Newcastle doesn't get them all. 

Also 19.5 Million would only get you around 36 buses, if an electric bus is £500,000. So 12 for each major operator

I think we'll see more of that money going towards repowering Buses from Diesel to Electric given the costs for New Vehicles/Infrastructure is still quite high unless the North East wins future grants from Green Bus Fund or Zebra etc.

I was thinking it would be a good idea for an initiative to be set up between Bus & Coach Builders and Bus & Coach Operators for old Buses to be traded back to the Manufacturer to get New Buses at a reduced cost, those older buses rather than being scrapped "depending on condition" could then be repowered for Smaller Independents to then purchase at a lesser cost.

Limits would be put in place on age of vehicles involved to say a minimum of 5/6 years old so that an operator can still get 10/12 years of further service out a Repowered Bus.

Blackpool Transport were doing something similar with Diesel Buses on there "Palladium Services" a few years back where they were renewing there fleet Every 4 Years in which some of there first batch of Enviro 400 City's were sold to Warrington's Own Buses who at the time had a rather aging fleet.