Residents in Cambridge will soon start to see the benefits of 30 new zero emission buses being rolled out across the city.

The announcement was made by Chancellor Rishi Sunak as part of the budget and spending review in parliament yesterday (October 27.)

Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority (CAPCA) and the Greater Cambridge Partnership (GCP) received the news as part of the Zero Emission Buses Regional Area (ZEBRA) scheme initiative for 2021-22.

It will fund 30 new electric double-decker buses for the Cambridge area which will operate on the park and ride and Citi2 routes.

There will also be in-depot charging infrastructure and opportunity charging infrastructure at a park and ride location to extend vehicle range while the bus is operating a route.

Dr Nik Johnson, Mayor of CAPCA, said: “Receiving this funding is fantastic news as we look to develop and share our local transport and connectivity plan for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough over the coming months.

“The ZEBRA funding isn’t purely a matter of public transport, but of public health and hitting our carbon zero ambitions.”

The successful business case, submitted to the Department for Transport (DfT) in August 2021, provides an opportunity to make significant improvements to the serious air quality issues which cause up to 100 deaths each year.

A £4.295 million grant was requested to help provide zero emission replacements for the first 10% of the region’s 350-strong bus fleet.

“I’m working with my team to ensure we include public health and environmental considerations as key criteria in everything we do,” said Dr Johnson.

“Over 100 deaths in Greater Cambridge are attributable to air pollution each year and buses are the largest single contributor to emissions.

“These new buses will reduce emissions in that central zone by over 40%, contributing significantly to improved public health.”

The new buses are expected to enter service in the second half of 2022.

Chair of GCP executive board, Elisa Meschini, said: “This is great news, and we will be working closely with the CAPCA to get the buses running as soon as possible."