Improving air quality requires partnership, investment and better public transport

Air quality is often discussed through the lens of climate change and decarbonisation, but for many communities it is also a direct public health issue.

The publication of the new Clean Air report is an important reminder that improving the quality of the air we breathe requires sustained collaboration between local authorities, transport operators, businesses, healthcare organisations and communities themselves.

The report highlights something many of us working in transport already recognise: there is no single cause of poor air quality and no single solution. Urban congestion, private vehicle use, ports, airports and wider economic activity all play a role. Addressing these challenges requires coordinated, long-term action.

Public transport has a particularly important role to play.

Every day, buses help reduce the number of private vehicles on our roads, easing congestion and providing people with a more sustainable way to travel. As more zero-emission buses enter service, the air quality benefits become even more significant, particularly in densely populated urban areas.

At First Bus, more than a quarter of our fleet is now zero-emission, with around 1,500 electric buses in operation across the UK, and 20 depots electrified. We remain committed to operating a fully zero-emission fleet by 2035 and are investing heavily in depot electrification and supporting infrastructure.

That investment is particularly important in cities where air quality challenges are most acute. In London, we continue to work closely with Transport for London to support the capital’s wider air quality and decarbonisation ambitions. Our Fullwell depot has now been fully electrified, and work at Westbourne Park recently completed, creating another major zero-emission operating hub in the capital.

Across our London operations, almost half of the First Bus fleet is now electric, with around 425 zero-emission vehicles either in service or entering operation. These investments help reduce emissions, including NOx emissions associated with urban air pollution, and improve air quality in densely populated communities where cleaner public transport can have the greatest impact.

In recent years, we have introduced electric buses into communities across the UK, including into cities with documented air quality challenges, such as Bristol, Glasgow, Leeds and Norwich.

The value of these investments is not simply about decarbonising fleets. It is about helping create healthier towns and cities for the people who live and work in them.

Alongside the main Clean Air South report, the accompanying Clean Air South: Sharing Solutions and Good Practice publication highlights Portsmouth’s electric bus programme, where 62 zero-tailpipe-emission buses have now completed nearly four million journeys. It is a strong example of what can be achieved through long-term active partnership working between operators and local authorities.

We are also beginning to see encouraging signs of the wider impact cleaner public transport can have on urban environments. In Norwich, where First Bus and Norfolk County Council introduced 76 electric buses from 2023, city centre air quality monitoring has shown a downward trend in NO₂ levels, with readings the lowest recorded since monitoring began.

Similar progress is being seen elsewhere. In Leicester, NO₂ concentrations across the city have fallen significantly over the past decade, the city now meets national air quality objectives across all monitoring sites. More than half of Leicester’s bus fleet is electric, cleaner public transport is recognised as an important contributor to the city’s improving air quality.

These examples demonstrate what can be achieved through sustained investment, policy support and long-term partnership working.

Importantly, the Clean Air South report also recognises that cleaner transport alone is not enough. Improving air quality requires wider behavioural change, integrated transport planning, investment in infrastructure and continued support from policymakers at both local and national level.

Which is why active partnership and collaboration matters so much.

Transport operators cannot solve air quality challenges in isolation. Equally, local authorities and policymakers cannot deliver change without engaging with operators to create practical, scalable transport solutions that people are willing and able to use.

Encouragingly, meaningful progress is being made across the South through initiatives involving universities, councils, healthcare professionals, businesses and community groups. Sharing good practice and learning from successful projects will be critical in accelerating further progress.

Improving air quality is a long-term challenge, but it also presents a fantastic opportunity to improve public health, support decarbonisation goals, and create better-connected, healthier communities.

Cleaner air will not be delivered by any single organisation acting alone. It will be achieved through sustained active partnerships, practical investment and a shared commitment to making sustainable travel the easy choice for more people.