BLACK exhaust emissions from the dozens of buses which serve Bolton are set to be cut by a staggering 90 per cent.

Small gadgets are to be fitted into vehicles owned by bus operators including First Manchester.

The "particulate traps" will make the buses more environmentally friendly, effectively catching the harmful exhaust deposits before they reach the air.

Around £1 million worth of "clean vehicle grants" have been handed out to bus companies by the Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Authority (GMPTA) as part of its new environment policy,

The gadgets were introduced at Bolton Moor Lane Bus Station by the town's deputy council leader Guy Harkin and a representative from First.

It coincided with Green Transport Week which runs until Sunday, part of a month of activities taking place for the annual "Don't Choke Britain" campaign.

Cllr Harkin, who is Bolton's representative on the GMPTA, said: "We aim to make motorists aware that there are alternative modes of transport and by making buses more environmentally friendly, we are helping to cut pollution levels even further."

Campaigners promoting alternative forms of travel to the car point to increased congestion and pollution caused by the growth in road traffic. The pollution initiative follows the controversial laying of bus-only lanes on Bolton's roads which give bus drivers priority over other road users to speed up services.