A total of 14 new vehicles are being rolled out across Doncaster after local bus operator First South Yorkshire invests nearly £3m as part of the newly-formed Doncaster Bus Partnership.
The new Wrightbus StreetLite vehicles feature luxury e-leather seating and include EuroVI microhybrid technology. The low carbon emission compliant buses produce 95% less oxides of nitrogen (NOx) emissions compared to buses with Euro V engines and as a result will help improve air quality across the borough. The new buses will principally operate on the Rossington 55/56 services but will also be serving customers on routes across Doncaster.
The newly-formed Doncaster Bus Partnership – a voluntary agreement between First South Yorkshire, Stagecoach, Arriva, South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive and Doncaster Council - will also introduce a revised bus network alongside new, lower-priced multi-operator tickets from Sunday 15 May, following public consultation last year.
This latest investment coincides with the new network launch and follows a recent investment of £7m in newer and more environmentally friendly buses by Stagecoach on services running to and through the Dearne Valley & First South Yorkshire on the X78.
Mayor of Doncaster, Ros Jones, said: “I am delighted that the Doncaster Bus Partnership will help to deliver a cleaner, greener and more reliable bus service for our residents, as good public transport is so important for a thriving borough. The new buses look great – modern, clean and comfortable - and the 14 that will be added to the fleet in Doncaster will further help to modernise the service.”
Daryll Broadhead, Operations Manager for First Doncaster said the investment will encourage more customers across Doncaster to use the bus: “This is great news for customers. By working together in partnership we are delivering an improved network, cheaper multi-operator tickets and new, low emission buses. These latest new buses are amongst the most eco-friendly on the market and reflect our commitment to working with our partners to reduce emissions and improve air quality."
The investment in Doncaster forms part of an overall order by FirstGroup’s UK bus division of 305 new vehicles worth £70m for delivery in the current financial year. The First Bus order reflects its commitment to customers and stakeholder partners across the UK and brings the company’s investment in more than 2,500 new buses to £455m over six years.
SYPTE Executive Director, Stephen Edwards, said: “Working together, the Doncaster Bus Partnership has been able to create a new bus network that offers a quality, sustainable and reliable service for the town. This investment in newer, environmentally friendly buses is a positive step in encouraging the growth of bus passengers in Doncaster.”
Paul Lynch, Stagecoach Yorkshire managing director said "Through partnership working we can provide a better bus service for Doncaster people. Better value and more flexible all-operator tickets, improved punctuality and increased investment by partners will come together to provide an altogether more attractive alternative to encourage more people to try the bus for some of their journeys."
Information about bus service changes, new timetables and maps can be found at travelsouthyorkshire.com, at bus stops and on buses, in Travel South Yorkshire Interchanges or by calling Traveline on 01709 51 51 51.
Notes to Editors:
FirstGroup plc is the leading transport operator in the UK and North America and our services help to create strong, vibrant and sustainable local economies. During the last year around 2.4 billion people relied on us to get to work, to education, to visit family and friends and much more and, each day, every one of our 110,000 employees works hard to deliver vitally important services for our passengers.
Our vision is to provide solutions for an increasingly congested world… keeping people moving and communities prospering.
First Bus
FirstGroup is one of Britain’s largest bus operators with around a fifth of bus services outside London. A fleet of some 6,300 buses carries approximately 1.7 million passengers a day in a huge number of communities including 40 of the UK's largest towns and cities. We operate some US-style yellow school buses and have a fleet of coaches available for charter. We also operate the Aircoach network in Ireland.