26th Jan 2009 10:07
26 January 2009
STAGECOACH TO INVEST £70m IN NEW GREENER BUSES FOR UK
Passengers to benefit from initial order of 420 new buses and coaches
Business profits to be reinvested to deliver greener, smarter bus travel
Consumers also offered discounted bus travel to beat credit crunch
Stagecoach Group plc announced today (26 January 2009) that it is planning a multi-million pound investment in new vehicles in the coming financial year for its growing bus operations in the UK.
An initial order worth £70million, for around 420 buses and coaches in 2009-10, will benefit Stagecoach customers across Britain, delivering some of the greenest vehicles in Europe.
Each of the new buses will meet new Euro 5 emissions standards, which come into force on 1 September 2009, further improving the sustainability of Stagecoach's bus and coach fleet.
Full details of vehicle manufacturers and the areas in which the new buses will be put into service will be announced later this year as orders are confirmed.
Bus passenger numbers on Stagecoach services grew by around 4% last year, driven by continued fleet investment, innovative marketing campaigns, partnerships with local authorities, excellent value fares and additional travel under concessionary fares schemes.
Les Warneford, Managing Director of Stagecoach UK Bus, said: "This planned multi-million-pound investment will bring significant benefits to passengers and the environment in local communities where we provide bus services.
"We are committed to reinvesting our profits to boost our quality of service to passengers, even in the current economic downturn. These buses have some of the cleanest engines in Europe and this investment will support our drive to reduce the carbon footprint of our business."
Mr Warneford added: "Stagecoach is leading the way in getting Britain back on board the bus and we are helping make people's pound go further by offering excellent value fares and a range of budget products."
A recent Stagecoach study showed that travelling by bus can be up to 80% cheaper than commuting by car*. Stagecoach also offers online access to monthly and annual bus tickets, allowing customers to receive even further discounts and fix the cost of their travel for up to 12 months in advance. Passengers can log on to www.buymymegarider.com to purchase travel on their local Stagecoach bus network.
Stagecoach operates more than 7,000 buses from the Highlands and Islands of Scotland to south-west England, covering more than 100 towns and cities in the UK and carrying around 2million passengers a day. The company has twice been named UK Bus Operator of the Year and won more awards than any other operator at the 2007 and 2008 UK Bus Awards.
ENDS
NOTES TO EDITORS
* Full details of the Stagecoach survey are available online at http://www.stagecoachgroup.com/scg/media/press/pr2008/2008-08-29/
Stagecoach Group
Stagecoach Group is a leading international public transport group, with extensive operations in the UK, United States and Canada. The company employs 30,000 people, and operates bus, coach, rail, and tram services.
For further information contact:
Lindsay Reid
Corporate Communications Manager
Stagecoach Group
10 Dunkeld Road
Perth
PH1 5TW
Phone: 01738 442111
Fax: 01738 443076
Mobile: 07500 446896
email: [email protected]
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