Agenda item

The Transport Committee received an update on transport decarbonisation activity. The Combined Authority had declared a climate emergency in June 2019, and at the same time committed to becoming carbon-free by 2038, with significant progress due to be made by 2030. The West Yorkshire Climate and Environment Plan was due to be considered at the October meeting of the Combined Authority, and if approved this would set out the Mayor and Combined Authority’s response to the climate emergency.

The report also updated Members on work done to develop the Zero Emission Bus Regional Area (ZEBRA) bid, which was due to be submitted to the Department for Transport by the end of January 2022. The Combined Authority’s response to the Transport for the North (TfN) Decarbonisation Strategy consultation was also included.

Members welcomed the work being undertaken toward a more emission-free bus fleet for the region, but noted that some districts had not made as much progress in this area as others. Differences in terms of topographies and the length of typical journeys created difficulties for electric buses in some regions. An additional £2 million of funding over the original ZEBRA bid had been requested for Calderdale and Kirklees partly to mitigate this.

The relatively small proportion of buses in Kirklees and Calderdale meeting Euro VI emissions standards was discussed, particularly in comparison to Leeds, and it was questioned whether the additional funding mentioned above would be enough to address this disparity. However, it was noted that Leeds had benefitted in this area from a previous unsuccessful attempt to deliver a trolley bus scheme, as the money for this had been retained and this had allowed a partnership with First which had funded many of these buses – this was noted as being a one-off circumstance. Additionally, both Leeds and Bradford had been able to use ring-fenced funding to support their delivery of clean air zones. It was also noted that bus operators had a significant influence on fleet replacement, and after the economic effects of the pandemic many were prioritising more profitable routes and areas for investment.

ZEBRA was recognised as a positive step forward toward reducing emissions, but it was cautioned that the questions regarding its performance in hilly areas remained to be answered. It also only addressed 10% of the West Yorkshire bus fleet, and the need for further government funding to decarbonise the rest of the region’s buses was strongly emphasised.

Members also noted that a wider discussion remained to be held regarding what power sources would be the best choice for further renovation of the bus fleet, whether it be electric, hydrogen, or something else. It would be important to take lessons from the work already done, including the recently-completed Stourton Park and Ride, which was noted as an example of the good progress being made in this area, and it was suggested that Members speak with the officers behind this project to gain a further understanding of the challenges faced and knowledge gained.

Members noted that the TfN Decarbonisation Strategy set strong targets for reduction of car, van and HGV use, and for the reduction of sales of SUVs and other large cars, but questioned how this could be delivered – the absence of specific actions was seen as something lacking in the report as a whole. Officers advised that these comments would be fed back to TfN.

The scale of the challenge going forward would be very significant, with further work to be done on freight. Members noted that although local councils and the Combined Authority had shown strong ambition in the targets set, it was important that delivery begin as soon as possible. Plans such as those to phase out petrol and diesel cars would require a great deal of work to implement the required infrastructure such as electrical charging points for both cars and electric bikes, and it would be important to use an integrated approach that considered all these factors, as well as to critically examine any future schemes that may contribute to an increase in carbon emissions. 

Securing devolution of further government funding and powers for the region’s own decarbonisation agenda was suggested as the best way to meet this challenge. It was also noted that the Government allowing the Combined Authority to reallocate funding for road schemes to public services would also have a strong impact; many of these road schemes were no longer fit for purpose, and supporting a modal shift toward active travel would have an important benefit on air quality, which was particularly important as part of efforts to reduce levels of respiratory illnesses such as asthma.

Resolved: That the Transport Committee note the contents of the submitted report.