{
  "abstract": "Background Air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles have detrimental planetary and health effects and zero (tailpipe) emission bus fleets are a mechanism to decarbonise public transport. The Zero Emission Bus Regional Area (ZEBRA) Scheme administered by the Department of Transport, enables Local Transport Authority and bus operator partnerships to deliver zero-emission buses and necessary infrastructure. Oxfordshire County Council (OCC) secured ZEBRA funding to implement 159 electric buses on 34 city-centre routes. This qualitative study undertaken as part of a multi-methods rapid evaluation, explored the feasibility, acceptability, and perceived impacts of the Oxford ZEBRA scheme.Methods Remote interviews were undertaken with key stakeholders involved in intervention implementation, invited via email. In-person focus groups were undertaken with bus operator staff, recruited by internal communication and members of sustainable transport advocacy groups representing a broad range of bus users, recruited by targeted information. Data collection was supported by a topic guide focusing on implementation, acceptability and perceived impacts. Discussions were audio-recorded, transcribed and analysed in NVivo 14 using a deductive framework approach based on the intervention logic model.Results We conducted 9 interviews with elected councillors (n=3), bus operator staff (n=2) and OCC Staff (n=4). One focus group included bus operator staff (engineers (n=3), driver (n=1), trainer (n=1) and operational staff (n=2)), another included 10 advocacy group members. Participants described implementation activities, including securing funding, procuring vehicles, upgrading the bus depot, operation planning, and staff training. All electric buses were deployed between January-December 2024, featuring improved safety, accessibility and user experience features which were positively received. Challenges included bus depot electrification and vehicle delivery delays, but strong collaboration and shared commitment among project partners facilitated the necessary financial, resource and operational buy-in to deliver the scheme. Participants viewed the scheme’s perceived impact on city-centre air quality and user experience positively, with limited perceived impact on modal shift. However, views on reduced engine noise were mixed, with concerns about the safety implications. A further concern was the potential increased road wear due to heavier vehicles.Conclusion The scheme was implemented over a one-year period, demonstrating the feasibility and acceptability of introducing electric buses across a city network and the generalisability to longer routes remains unknown. The perceived impact on air quality and bus user experience was positively received; however, some concerns remain. Future research will include discussions with Oxford residents and commuters using a range of transport modes and quantitative assessment of environmental and health impacts.",
  "authors": [
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Applied Health Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Kate Garrott"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Applied Health Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK"
      ],
      "name": "James Hodgson"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Applied Health Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Jessica Tanner"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Applied Health Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Haliyya Bakare"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Applied Health Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Lucy Oakey"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Oxfordshire County Council, Oxford, UK, Oxford City Council, Oxford, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Ruth Anderson"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Oxfordshire County Council, Oxford, UK, Oxford City Council, Oxford, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Hannah Battye"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Oxfordshire County Council, Oxford, UK, Oxford City Council, Oxford, UK",
        "London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK",
        "Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Louisa Chenciner"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Oxfordshire County Council, Oxford, UK, Oxford City Council, Oxford, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Melissa Goodacre"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Oxfordshire County Council, Oxford, UK, Oxford City Council, Oxford, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Paul Mullins"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Public Contributions"
      ],
      "name": "Peter Richardson"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Public Contributions"
      ],
      "name": "Karen Keates"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Oxford City Council, Oxford, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Pedro Abreu"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Applied Health Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Laura Jones"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Applied Health Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Peymane Adab"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Applied Health Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Miranda Pallan"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Applied Health Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Suzanne Bartington"
    }
  ],
  "title": "OP17 A qualitative exploration of the feasibility, acceptability and perceived impacts of the zero-emission bus regional area (ZEBRA) scheme in Oxford, UK",
  "uid": "15a25ce4-f574-5074-abdd-375fa163acd4"
}