The Scottish government has launched a £500,000 scheme aimed at helping local authorities and smaller operators work towards a zero-carbon bus sector.

The Zero Emission Bus Market Transition Scheme, delivered through Energy Saving Trust, will help small and medium sized bus operators, local authorities and community transport organisations assess their options for decarbonisation.

Announced alongside the publication of Scotland’s Bus Decarbonisation Taskforce’s pathway to a zero-carbon bus sector, the funding will help operators and councils prepare business cases ahead of the next phase of the Scottish Zero Emission Bus Challenge Fund (ScotZEB), which is opening in spring 2023.

Minister for transport Jenny Gilruth said: ‘Our smaller operators have great ambitions to respond to the climate emergency and move to zero emission buses, but many simply don’t have the resources available to put in the considered and robust businesses cases that we rightly require for our ScotZEB programme. The same is true for home-to-school and community transport operators.

‘This £500,000 investment will help these smaller operators be part of collaborative and competitive bids to the next phase of ScotZEB, opening in spring 2023.

‘Whether it’s a large or small operator, I want more people to choose bus and know that those buses are contributing even more towards our climate change ambitions than they do now. This report and funding will support that vision as part of our wider “Mission Zero” for transport.’