BUSES in York and Harrogate are to be fitted with new technology to make them greener and keep the air cleaner.

The Department for Transport has announced £1,965,500 of funding to introduce greener bus technology and cut emissions on 121 buses in Yorkshire cities including York, Harrogate, Leeds and Sheffield.

A spokesman said the upgraded buses will complete 420,000 greener journeys a year, helping to improve air quality by cutting harmful emissions by up to 90 per cent.

He said the Clean Bus Technology Fund was being awarded to 18 local authorities across England to retrofit buses with technology to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions in pollution hotspots.

Transport Minister Andrew Jones said: “Greener buses mean a cleaner town and city centres for Yorkshire and a healthier environment for everyone. "The 121 upgraded buses that will soon hit the roads in Yorkshire continue our commitment to better air quality by investing in greener transport.

"By targeting pollution hotspots and backing the low-emission technology of the future, we are making the right long-term decisions to improve people’s lives.”

The spokesman said that to win awards, local authorities had had to show evidence that the technology would reduce nitrogen oxide emissions by at least 50 per cent.

"The buses will be fitted with exhaust gas treatment systems called selective catalytic reduction (SCR) and will be back on the roads after their upgrade. "As part of the award, councils must continue to monitor the schemes and provide evidence of their effectiveness."

He added that the fund was a core part of the government’s commitment to green transport which had seen £2 billion worth of measures introduced since 2011.

"Upgrading existing transport sits alongside the government’s £600 million investment in low-emission technology over the next five years, with the aim of making almost every car and van zero emission by 2050."