Southern Vectis and the Isle of Wight Council have submitted a bid for funding that could see 22 brand new, zero-emission buses arrive on the Island in 2026 to operate between Newport, East Cowes, Cowes and Ryde. The funding, part of the next phase of the Department for Transport’s ZEBRA (Zero Emission Bus Regional Area) scheme, would be used to revolutionise the operator’s Routes 1, 5 and 9. If the bid is successful, the funding awarded will be added to investment already ring-fenced by Southern Vectis and Isle of Wight Council resulting in a total of £12.7million. This will secure 22 new, all-electric single and double decker buses – complete with tap on, tap off technology for contactless payments, USB charging points for all seats, and next stop audio and visual announcements. They will also have a fully accessible wheelchair ramp, audio loops, dementia-friendly internal colour schemes and CCTV for added security. The funding will also enable the bus operator’s Newport depot to be upgraded with charging infrastructure. The move will see a significant reduction in the Isle of Wight’s overall carbon emissions and improve air quality. Andrew Wickham, Southern Vectis’ managing director, has said:
“I’m delighted to have been working with Isle of Wight Council, to bid for funding that will give the island a brand new fleet of electric vehicles. “Buses are an excellent solution for improving air quality and reducing congestion, because they give people the option to leave their cars at home and use sustainable transport instead. “This joint bid gives us a wonderful opportunity to take greener transport on the Isle of Wight a massive step even further – with the exciting prospect of 22 electric buses here. This also ties in perfectly with our parent company the Go-Ahead Group’s Climate Change Strategy – which has an overarching target to become a net zero carbon business by 2045. “We know just how important it is to improve air quality across the island – and we are thrilled to be right at the forefront of transforming public transport for those living on, working on and visiting the Isle of Wight.”
Colin Rowland, strategic director of community services at the Isle of Wight Council, adds:
“If we are to clean up our air, we need to clean up the emissions produced by getting around. If successful, this bid will mean we can introduce modern, zero-emission buses on some of the Island’s key bus routes. The introduction of electric buses on the Island would be an important step on our path towards net zero while supporting cleaner air.”
The ZEBRA 2 bid has been submitted and a decision from DfT is expected in March 2024. If successful, the new fleet of electric buses is expected to arrive in February 2026. On the bid, Island MP Bob Seely has said:
“We have a strong bid. I have already told Ministers that the Island would be a great place to champion electric-powered buses.”
