The European Commission (EC - the executive body of the European Union) together with the European Investment Bank (EIB) have launched the CEF Transport Blending Facility, a new financial instrument to support projects contributing to the environmental sustainability and efficiency of the transport sector in Europe.

Violeta Bulc, the EU Commissioner for Transport and Vazil Hudák, Vice-President of the European Investment Bank launched the “Safer Transport Platform” at a conference in Bucharest last month.

The Union Cabinet has approved the proposal for the implementation of phase II of the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles with a fund allocation of USD1.54bn over the next three years, with effect from April 1, 2019.

The UK Government has announced further funding of GBP48m for assisting acquisition of up to 263 ultra-low emission buses.

Funded by the Scottish Government and delivered through a government body called the Energy Saving Trust, the Bus Emissions Abatement Retrofit scheme enables Scottish bus operators to retrofit their existing vehicles with accredited emission control equipment under the Clean Vehicle Retrofit Accreditation Scheme, to reduce harmful emission levels from existing vehicles.