A £50m fund has been launched which will pay for one town to electrify its entire bus fleet.

Local authorities have been invited to apply to become the UK’s first all-electric bus town, by transport secretary Grant Shapps.

The Department for Transport claims that a town with 200 electric buses could save around 7,400 tonnes of CO2 each year, the equivalent to taking 3,700 diesel cars off the road.

The £50m fund is part of a total £170m allocated to improve services and make bus journeys greener, easier and more reliable. This commitment marks the next step in delivering the government’s £220 million package to overhaul bus services across England and level up transport infrastructure.

Shapps said: “Buses carry more people than any other form of public transport in the UK, and with 200 electric buses able to offset 3,700 diesel cars, it is clear they have a crucial role to play in bringing down emissions.

“But Britain’s first all-electric bus town is just the start. Helping deliver on our manifesto promise, this £170m package will help us to create communities that are cleaner, easier to get around and more environmentally friendly, speeding up journeys and making them more reliable.

“By focusing on efficient and affordable transport, we will make greener journeys the natural choice.”