520 new vehicles within two years

STAGECOACH Group is to buy and lease more than 520 new buses and coaches for operations across the UK in 2011-12.

The company is investing £52million in 360 new buses and coaches for the coming financial year, to be introduced in Stagecoach’s regional bus networks across the UK.
Stagecoach will also lease more than 160 new state-of-the-art vehicles for London, which were acquired in October 2010.

The new orders follow an annual tendering process and all the vehicles meet the latest Euro 5 emissions standards. It means Stagecoach is buying or leasing more than 580 new buses and coaches for the UK in 2011-12 and the investment in new vehicles outside London over four years will reach nearly £290million.
Les Warneford, Managing Director of Stagecoach UK Bus, said: “As well as offering the best value bus fares in Britain, we are driving up the quality of travel by investing in greener vehicles, better facilities and improved services.

“Minimising carbon emissions is a key factor in our investment programme. We want to play our part in reducing the impact of travel on the environment. There is a big opportunity to attract car users to the benefits of greener, smarter bus travel and cut our own carbon footprint.”
Vehicle manufacturers ADL, Scania, Plaxton andVolvo will supply a total of 255 double-deckers, 74 single-deckers, 166 midi-buses, 28 coaches and 64 hybrid vehicles.The new vehicles are expected to go into service by April 2012.