Government funding for public transport
Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas Fund 2 (ZEBRA 2)
In Autumn 2023, the Isle of Wight Council applied for the Department for Transport’s Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas 2 (ZEBRA 2) fund.
Our application was successful, so the council worked with Go South Coast Ltd, the parent company of Southern Vectis, to create a bid. We are asking for 22 electric buses and charging stations at Southern Vectis’ depot at Nelson Road, Newport. The routes are
- Southern Vectis service 1: Newport to Cowes via Northwood
- Southern Vectis service 5: Newport to East Cowes via Whippingham
- Southern Vectis service 9: Newport to Ryde via Wootton, Fishbourne, and Binstead
Download - ZEBRA 2 application - Appendix1 (PDF)
Commercially sensitive information has been removed from the ZEBRA application.
We aim for the new electric buses to be in operation by spring 2026.
Local Authority Bus Subsidy Ring-Fenced (Revenue) Grant
The Local Authority Bus Subsidy Ring-Fenced (Revenue) Grant is paid by the Department for Transport to local authorities in place of the Bus Services Operators Grant previously paid to bus operators for running services under tender to local authorities.The grant may only be used for the purposes of supporting bus services (including community transport services run under a section 19 permit), or for the provision of infrastructure supporting such services in our, or a neighbouring local transport authority's area.
| Funding period | Grant awarded | Grant used |
|---|---|---|
1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022 |
£22,346 |
The full grant for 2021 to 2022, and £56,999 rolled forward from previous years, was utilised to part fund bus infrastructure improvements at various locations. |
| 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023 | £22,346 | The full grant was utilised to fund bus infrastructure improvements at various locations. |
| 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024 | £22,346 | This funding was used to part fund bus infrastructure improvements. £10,572 has been carried forward into the current financial year for further improvements. |
Other Department for Transport funding
In addition to the funding above, we used funding for these public transport improvements
- Bought a new electric minibus, charging stations, and solar panels for the FYT Bus in West Wight.
- Added more trips to service 31 during the week and on Saturdays in Ventnor. Minibus Plus runs this with Ventnor Town Council.
- Helped the Community Bus Partnership in Cowes and the Bay areas, especially to recover from the pandemic until 2024.