Abstract

In the United Kingdom city buses are the most common form of public transport within urban areas. Most buses are powered using diesel fuel, the combustion of which contributes to climate change and the deterioration of air quality in town centres. Low Emission Buses (LEBs) can help mitigate this. Moreover their introduction is costly and funding is limited. The majority of existing LEB schemes are isolated pilot projects consisting of small fleets (less than 5 buses) whose long-term viability is uncertain. At present little is known about bus users’ preferences for emission reduction to justify the introduction or expansion of LEB schemes. This study uses a Discrete Choice Experiment set around the Aberdeen Hydrogen Bus Project – Europe’s largest hydrogen bus fleet – to estimate a probabilistic model that determines what type of bus service a particular bus user prefers. Findings provide evidence that LEB experience results in a higher value for the environmental performance of the bus, compared to bus users who regularly use diesel buses only. Results show LEB schemes can be partly funded by the user, either through increased fares or deviating resources from certain characteristics of the bus service that consumers are willing to forego in exchange for a less emitting bus. Results also provide evidence that justify the use of pilot LEB schemes are an efficient stepping stone to widespread introduction, as increased exposure to LEBs results in higher valuations for emission reduction amongst bus users. Some implementation strategies are presented.