Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has released figures that show that air pollution dropped again in 2024 in the city region.
In 2018, 129 places where air quality is measured had illegal levels of nitrogen dioxide. Having been reduced to 64 in 2023, it fell further in 2024 to 38.
TfGM stated that this was due, in part, to the more than 300 electric buses now serving the local community.
A further £2.5bn in wider government transport funding will also help Greater Manchester fully electrify its bus fleet by 2030 with TfGM currently modernising bus depots to support electric vehicles.
Depots in Bolton, Manchester and Oldham have already been upgraded with charging infrastructure, with Ashton recently becoming the city regionâs first fully electric depot. Transformation at Middleton is up next.
The next meeting of the Greater Manchester Air Quality Administration Committee on 31 July will consider Clean Air Plan-funded zero emission buses.
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The first 20 of a further 40 electric buses, funded by the GM Clean Air Plan agreed with government in January, are already on Manchester roads.
The meeting will also cover supporting a £8m Hackney Support Fund that could open in November 2025, when eligible GM-licensed hackney carriage owners will be able to apply for proposed grants of up to £12,560 to upgrade to cleaner vehicles.
Leader of Bury Council and clean air lead for Greater Manchester, Eamonn OâBrien, said: “Weâve always been focused on doing whatâs right for Greater Manchester, and by accelerating investment in our public transport network, weâre showing that itâs possible to improve air quality faster than if a charging Clean Air Zone had been introduced.
“Investment in the Bee Network is enabling more people to choose cleaner, greener ways to get around â like public transport and walking or cycling â instead of driving.
“As we deliver our Clean Air Plan alongside the Bee Network, with support from the government, weâll roll out the UKâs first fully integrated, zero-emission public transport system by the end of the decade and improve the air we all breathe for generations to come.”
Achievements and innovations in sustainable transport planning will be recognised and celebrated at the fourth annual CiTTi Awards on 25 November 2025 at De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms in London. Visit www.cittiawards.co.uk to learn more about this unmissable event for the UKâs transportation sector!
