COACH and school bus firms are being invited to apply for funding to adapt or replace their vehicles to meet Bradford’s Clean Air Zone emissions criteria.

Bradford Council will implement its Clean Air Zone from early next year in the city centre inside the outer ring road and along Canal Road and Manningham Lane to Shipley.

Taxis, buses, coaches, lorries and vans which don’t meet clean air standards will be charged for entering the zone.

Coach firms and school bus providers can now apply for a slice of £1.7m funding to either adapt their vehicles to fit the standards or to buy new vehicles, up to £16,000, by September 30.

Councillor Sarah Ferriby, executive member for healthy people and places, said: “This is a great opportunity for coach and school bus companies to apply for funding to help them comply with the Clean Air Zone and help to reduce air pollution and harmful emissions.”

The Government has told Bradford Council to implement the Clean Air Zone due to high levels of pollution in the city, which can lead to a range of health problems, with the city recording high levels of respiratory illnesses in children; one in five children now have asthma.

Funding schemes have already been offered to owners of HGVs, bus companies, and taxi and private hire drivers, and so far 70 per cent of Hackney carriage and private hire firms have applied for funding to adapt or change their vehicles.

Bradford Council will soon be publishing details of the Clean Air Exemptions Programme that will open for applications later this year, and will allow businesses to have up to three exempt vehicles per organisations, with additional exemptions for specific vehicles and for organisations carrying out educational or charity work.

Firms can apply for funding at yorportal.co.uk