Bus Ambassador

Bus passengers of Shropshire were saddened today to hear the news that Arriva is considering closing their Oswestry bus depot . While customers of the depot are reassured that their main bus routes will be reallocated to Arriva's depots in Shrewsbury and Wrexham, the community has responded to the news with concern for the jobs of Arriva's Oswestry employees and for the community itself. Macauley Pugh The pandemic has drastically affected Arriva's Oswestry depot with 54% of bus users from before the pandemic no longer using their services. This post-pandemic recovery is far below national trends and comes alongside a challenging combination of significant industry-wide cost inflation and funding support from the local authority falling significantly below the levels provided by other councils to reimburse “concessionary travel” meaning bus services have been operating at a sustained operating loss. Additionally, while a Bus Service Improvement Plan was developed in partners...

We’ve just received heart-breaking news here in the North West – Arriva is proposing to close its Winsford and Macclesfield bus depots . This could be the end of the line for many bus services in these areas and so many communities are being affected. Tom Harrison (Bus Ambassador) It’s hard to fathom how a business can stay afloat when times are already so hard, but it’s becoming clearer that cost inflation in the bus sector is having an unprecedented and overwhelming impact on local businesses and the people they serve. Since the pandemic started, there has been a steady decline in bus journeys in Winsford, Northwich, Crewe and Macclesfield, meaning that Arriva's operations in the area were no longer financially viable. This is the case even with the new network they introduced in November 2021. It’s a devastating blow to so many local people and businesses and one that will be felt in the region for a long time to come.  The employees of these depots have been doing their best to...

Stagecoach West Scotland unveiled its fleet of 27 fully electric buses at an official launch event today 20th February 2023 at the historic Robert Burns Birthplace – Burns Cottage. Stagecoach UK Bus This major investment of around £15.7 million sees 25 10.8m Volvo BZL single-deck buses, the first to operate in the UK added to the West Scotland electric fleet. Their arrival follows just 18 months after Stagecoach West Scotland put six Volvo 7900 Electric buses into service at its Kilmarnock depot. In addition, two Alexander Dennis Limited (ADL) BYD single-deck buses will be introduced, taking the total ADL fleet to 17. Local communities will benefit from 48 electric buses being used on local routes around Ayrshire as the operator makes significant progress toward reducing its emissions and air pollution. At the launch, guests, including Siobhian Brown MSP were able to get a first glance at the new electric buses and chatted with employees from Stagecoach about this revolution in bu...

FirstGroup plc has just announced their acquisition of Ensign Bus Company Limited, the well-performing Essex-based public transport, vehicle refurbishment and re-sale business. The deal is expected to be finalised over the coming months after regulatory review. Ensignbus Ensignbus’ commercial bus operations comprise a local bus route network complementary to First Bus’ operations in Essex and two B2B segments that include rail replacement and private hire contract operations. This transaction offers up an impressive young vehicle fleet of 55 buses, as well as providing potential for growth in B2B and bus dealership markets. The Ensignbus specialist heritage fleet is excluded from the transaction. The acquisition of the Ensignbus business will both enhance FirstGroup’s existing local commercial bus operations in Essex as well as providing a number of growth opportunities in the B2B and bus vehicle dealership markets. Graham Sutherland, FirstGroup Chief Executive Officer, said: “The ...

Last week, 12 brand-new Volvo B8RLE single-deck buses with MCV Evora bodies were unveiled at the Arriva Buses Wales Bangor depot. This fleet represents a £2.2 million investment in the Welsh bus fleet. Arriva UK Bus Starting this month, the new fleet of 12 single-deck buses will operate on the 5 route between Caernarfon, Bangor, and Llandudno. To help passengers stay connected, Wi-Fi and USB ports are installed in each of the new buses. Richard Hoare, Commercial Director, said: “Arriva is committed to providing the best possible service for our customers, and we continue to invest in our fleet. "The 12 new buses in Bangor are a great addition to our Welsh fleet, and this is a significant investment to a vital part of our network and underlines Arriva’s commitment to providing a high quality, fully accessible bus service to our customers.” Arriva UK Bus For the first time, Arriva Buses Wales drivers will use camera-controlled mirrors on buses to assist driving the new fleet. The ne...

After an £82.5 million deal was finalised, the first buses in a fleet of 159 new battery electric buses are scheduled to arrive in Oxfordshire in September 2023. Alexander Dennis The government's Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA) programme awarded £32.8 million to Oxfordshire County Council in March. The project will provide the electric buses and the infrastructure to charge them, together with £6 million from the council and £43.7 million from the bus firms Stagecoach and the Go-Ahead Group, which includes the Oxford Bus Company, Thames Travel, and City Sightseeing Oxford. After signing contracts between bus companies and manufacturers and getting the council's approval to trial traffic filters in Oxford, Oxfordshire's ZEBRA scheme is officially a go. This will help reduce bus journey times by up to 10 per cent, giving the city's commuters a smoother ride and shorter trips. Councillor Andrew Gant, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways Manage...

Stagecoach has announced that it will expand its autonomous bus technology development with new trials in Cambridge and Sunderland, as well as extending its Scottish cross-Forth Road Bridge trial to cover a longer route. Alexander Dennis It comes on the heels of the UK government's announcement that grants have been awarded to seven successful autonomous projects across the country, forming the world's most advanced set of commercial, self-driving passenger and freight operations. These projects have received a total of £81 million in combined government and industry funding. The news follows Stagecoach recently undertaking passenger trials of the first full-sized autonomous bus service across the iconic Forth Road Bridge from Ferrytoll Park & Ride, in Fife to Edinburgh Park Transport Interchange. Three autonomous projects that Stagecoach is involved in have been granted funding through the Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CCAV) Connected and Automated Mobility...