THE drive to reduce carbon emissions and clean up the air continues as Oxfordshire County Council has bought in three new electric school minibuses.

As the largest council in Oxfordshire, the local authority has already taken a strong lead and is committed to being carbon neutral by 2030.

The new 100 per cent electric minibuses can travel up to 100 miles on a single charge and spend the morning and evenings taking children to and from school.

The rest of the time they are used as part of the not-for-profit Oxfordshire Comet service.

The Comet allows people without suitable access to public transport to make the journeys they want and can be booked for any type of trip.

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The minibuses are part of a strategy that will see the council replacing as much of its vehicles fleet with zero exhaust emission alternatives as possible.

The county council’s Fire and Rescue Service and car pool has also taken delivery of electric alternatives in recent months.

Yvonne Constance, cabinet member for the environment, said: “It’s brilliant to see more electric vehicles joining the ever-growing zero-exhaust-emission county council fleet.

“These are special vehicles and have been adapted so that people can travel on them regardless of whether they have mobility problems or a disability.

“Our hope is that the minibuses will be cheaper to run as well as being far better for the environment.

"We will be looking closely at how they perform but, at this early stage, the feedback from our drivers and passengers is that they are doing well.”

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Along with the commitment to being carbon neutral the county council has also shown its dedication to reducing emissions through high-profile sustainable energy projects like Local Energy Oxfordshire, as well as seeking to reduce the number of miles its staff travel for things like meetings by encouraging flexible working and greater use of virtual meeting technology.

Oxford Mail:

Oxfordshire County Council and Oxford City Council are proposing to create a Zero Emission Zone (ZEZ) in Oxford city centre, starting in December 2020.

The ZEZ would be based on a road user charging scheme for a limited number of streets in the city centre including Bonn Square, Queen Street, Cornmarket, Ship Street, St Michael’s Street, and New Inn Hall Street

Zero emission vehicles would be able to drive in the zone free of charge.

Other vehicles would be permitted in the zone but would have to pay £10 per day from February 2021 (rising to £20 per day from August 2025) to drive in the zone between 7am and 7pm.

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There would be discounts and exemptions for some road users, including residents and businesses in the zone.

The ZEZ would lead to cleaner air, quieter streets, and contribute to action on climate change.

Based on consultation feedback, a number of updates have been proposed to the scheme including an eight-week 'soft launch' phase.

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A soft launch of the scheme which would see the Zero Emission Zone implemented but no charges payable or penalty charges issued until 1 Feb 2021.

This is in order to address concerns about the scheme starting in the run up to Christmas 2020, a key trading period for city centre businesses.

There will also be a commitment to work with ZEZ residents and businesses to develop supporting measures, addressing concerns that support is required to help people comply.

The city council is now carrying out a final consultation before the councils make decisions about the scheme in summer 2020.

It wants members of the public to submit its views by midnight on April 15.