Merseytravel, the transportation authority for Merseyside County, England, has partnered with operator Cumfybus Ltd. to deploy 13 hybrid-electric buses in the Liverpool metro area. All of the buses will be online in regular service by the end of this month.

The U.K. Department for Transport supported the project with £1.2 million in funding from the Green Bus Fund, which is investing in the deployment of hundreds of low-carbon-emission buses in various regions.

"This is one of the ways in which we are supporting more sustainable transport in the region," says Mark Dowd, chairman of Merseytravel. "These new buses will help to reduce CO2 emissions, support improving air quality in the city center, and be more fuel-efficient."

Arriva, another bus operator with whom Merseytravel works, is currently in the process of bidding on a Green Bus Fund project to roll out 33 hybrid double-deckers.