Bus operators and Brighton and Hove City Council have been given almost £500,000 to help clean up more of the vehicles in the local fleet.
The money has been awarded from the government’s Clean Bus Technology Fund to Brighton and Hove Buses, the council and other bus operators.
Brighton and Hove Buses said: “The new fund – worth around £7 million in total – was awarded to 18 local authorities across England.
“The award for Brighton and Hove will enable 35 buses to be fitted with technology that will reduce nitrogen oxide emissions by up to 90 per cent.”
Brighton and Hove Buses managing director Martin Harris said: “This funding is a triumph for the ever-improving partnership work between local bus operators and the council.
“The city serves more passengers per head of population than anywhere in the country outside London and we are committed to investing in our environment.
“This welcome boost of government funding is a recent addition to our own investment of over £24 million into new buses and technology.
“More than 50 buses have already been retrofitted to higher environmental standards, along with 24 new buses and 13 diesel-electric hybrids all helping to improve air quality.”
He said that other partnership work between the bus company and the council had led to the successful implementation of the city’s Low Emission Zone.
And he praised changes to traffic light sequencing to reduce vehicle idling time.
He said that, to help improve its environmental footprint, Brighton and Hove Buses was also investing significantly in research on low-emission technology and monitored driver efficiency through a telematics system.
The company was recently awarded the Sussex Business Award for Most Sustainable Business in 2015.
They could further reduce emissions by getting their drivers to turn off their damn buses when they’re sitting under my window on Edward St for 5-10 mins at a time. Even at 11pm. Drives me up the wall. More hybrids please!