Sadiq Khan has unveiled the world’s first double-decker hydrogen bus in London, as he committed to swiping the city clean of "dirty" diesel buses.
The Mayor of London revealed that no more pure diesel double-deck buses will be added to the capital’s fleet from 2018 and that all new single-deckers for central London will be zero-emission vehicles.
The new hydrogen double-decker is at the forefront of green technology and will be tried out on London’s roads next year.
Sadiq Khan said: "I want London to become a world leader in hydrogen and electric bus technology.
"I’m implementing hard-hitting measures to clean-up London’s toxic air and it’s great that more cities are getting on board to phase out the procurement of pure diesel buses which sends a clear signal that only the cleanest technologies are wanted in our cities."
The Mayor unveiled the new bus as he and Deputy Mayor of Transport, Val Shawcross, met with international city officials and bus manufacturers attending an International Zero-Emission Bus Conference and Summit at City Hall.
Around 9,400 premature deaths occur each year in London due to illnesses caused by long-term exposure to air pollution and diesel vehicles, it is claimed.
Eleven other major cities – including New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Amsterdam, Copenhagen and Cape Town – have already responded to the call and agreed to begin moves to phase out procurement of pure diesel buses by the end of 2020.
City Hall's vision for London buses is to meet the Ultra-Low Emission Zone standard during 2020.
Mike Brown, London’s Transport Commissioner, said: "We’re determined to make our public transport system one of the cleanest in the world and phasing out diesel buses lies at the heart of this.
"Zero emission buses are the future, and my staff are working hard with manufacturers and bus companies to make them a reality in the capital as quickly as possible."
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