Emission Tech Failure Fuels High Pollution in Bradford Roads

Bradford’s Clean Air Zone has problems. Emission systems on buses are failing, and a report will go to council members. Air pollution on some roads exceeds legal limits due to the bus technology failure, affecting Manchester Road and Queens Road.

Bradford wants government money for new, zero emission buses. In 2018, the government told Bradford to improve air and meet legal air quality standards.

The Clean Air Zone was announced in 2020. High-polluting vehicles would pay a fee to enter the zone. The government gave the city £39 million to help put the Clean Air Zone in place.

The Council used money to help upgrade vehicles. Grants helped upgrade HGVs and taxis, while bus companies got up to £16,000 each to update bus engines and meet emission standards.

The report stated the retrofit systems are “not working” and are causing illegal pollution levels. The city sent assessments to the government, seeking more funding to fix air quality.

Government research, released in December, supports this report. The research looked at retrofitted buses closely and found underperformance issues and problems with the systems.

Retrofitting could cut Nitrogen Oxides; however, factors caused variations in performance. Real-world emissions were higher than expected, and retrofitted buses also emitted more NO2.

The funding for the bus retrofit stopped in April 2023. The government investigated the bus filters, and the report came out in mid-December 2024. The council seeks investment in zero emission buses.

A Council spokesperson confirmed the problems, stating that the government paused funding. The report details the investigation outcomes, and the Council wants investment in zero emission buses, believing this will help Bradford.

First Bus fitted approved systems to the buses. A First Bus spokesperson said they will cooperate and work to support the council.