Location notice
Please note that this page contains information and links most relevant for people living in Scotland.
The bus emissions abatement retrofit (BEAR) programme funds retrofit technology measures accredited by CVRAS (Clean vehicle retrofit accreditation scheme) to reduce nitrogen dioxide (NOx) and particulate matter (PM) emissions in air quality management areas (AQMAs).
In 2017 – 2018, the BEAR Phase 1 scheme awarded funding for 42 buses to be converted to Euro VI standard, to help reduce pollution levels in AQMAs.
Additional funding of £7.89 million was allocated to the delivery of BEAR Phase 2 for Scottish bus and coach retrofitting in 2018 – 2019. A total of eight successful applicants have been awarded funding to retrofit 124 vehicles with CVRAS accredited technology.
Recipients are listed below:
| Operator | Retrofitter | Total grant awarded | Vehicles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Craig of Campbeltown Ltd/Westcoast Motors | Baumot | £138,616.00 | 10 |
| Festival Travel (Scotland) Ltd | HJS/Eminox | £92,668.00 | 3 |
| First Glasgow | Eminox | £515,189.00 | 40 |
| Handicabs Lothian | HJS | £170,650.00 | 17 |
| Lothian Buses Limited | HJS | £156,140.00 | 25 |
| Lothian Buses Limited | HJS | £171,464.00 | 11 |
| Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) | HJS | £20,716.00 | 1 |
| Western Buses Ltd/Stagecoach | Baumot | £168,910.00 | 7 |
| Xplore Dundee/Tayside Public Transport Company Ltd | HJS | £143,348.00 | 10 |
| Total | £1,748,351.00 | 141 |
BEAR funding is available to licensed bus and coach operators, local authorities and community transport operators located in, or operating, eligible vehicles based on routes within one of Scotland’s cities identified in the Scottish Government’s Programme for Government 2017 LEZ commitment (ie Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow) and / or one of Scotland’s AQMAs.
Energy Saving Trust administers BEAR based on set eligibility criteria for grant funding agreed with Transport Scotland.
The eligible technologies which can be funded for retrofitting are:
- selective Catalytic Reduction Traps to reduce diesel emissions
- e-fans to reduce fuel consumption
- hybrid drive conversions
- electric drive conversions
- gas engine conversions
- new technology types
Successful applicants can access grant funding from Transport Scotland towards both primary and ancillary costs up to a maximum of £3,500,000 per bidder.
Eligible vehicles must meet the following criteria:
- buses and coaches operated under a Public Service Vehicle (PSV) operator licence or used for voluntary, community or other non-profit making purpose
- less than 13 years old at time of application
- a remaining service life of at least 5 years in Scotland
- conforming to Euro IV or V emission standards from factory
Operators need to:
- provide a statement outlining how services will be delivered in a LEZ and/or AQMA
- provide quarterly telematics data demonstrating both daily NOx and PM abatement per bus, maintenance of equipment, daily AdBlue consumption, daily mileage, mpg, GPS location of bus; all for a 5-year period
- provide at least 12 consecutive months of historical fuel consumption data for each specific vehicle prior to retrofitting in order to effectively monitor and evaluate any associated impact on fuel consumption and efficiency resulting from retrofitting
- have a history of effective maintenance and agree to commit to an agreed maintenance cycle as part of the application process
Enquiries
If you have any questions please get in touch.
