As part of an investment of over £5 million, local bus operator Stagecoach North East has welcomed a fleet of 24 brand new buses which are now in service on routes across Newcastle.
At an official launch, newly appointed Stagecoach North East managing director, Steve Walker, unveiled one of the new buses in his first engagement for the company at the Green Transport Event at the Quorum Business Park in Newcastle.
The buses, which are now running on the popular 62 and 63 bus routes, feature state-of-the-art fuel efficient Euro 6 engines, improved seating for customer comfort, free wifi and USB charging points. The investment in the new bus fleet will benefit customers on the services which link the city centre locations with North Walbottle and Chapel House across to Killingworth.
In his first week as managing director, Steve – formerly managing director of Stagecoach North Scotland – was delighted to welcome the vehicles to the region. He said: “With all 24 buses now out on the road, this is great news for our customers and a fantastic addition to the local Stagecoach bus fleet. With increased congestion and traffic on our roads, as well as offering a cleaner and greener way to travel, buses now provide an increasingly vital and efficient service for our passengers, whether going to work or enjoying the many sights the region has to offer.
“Buses are critical to the local economy and so we have invested to improve the experience for customers and make it as easy as possible to travel within Newcastle, connecting people to work, education and leisure activities. With free wifi and charging points, customers are able to work remotely, connect with friends via social networks or even check the latest journey information online; helping make bus travel more convenient.
Quorum, located on Benton Lane, is one of the fastest growing business parks in the region and a key destination served by the buses to provide a vital link for commuters across the region.
Laura McVittie, Commuter Centre Manager at Quorum Business Park, said: “Promoting sustainable travel and healthier lifestyles to the tenants and their employees is a key part of the park’s ethos. There is potential to see up to 9,000 people working on the park so we are continually providing support and guidance about different travel choices available to commuters. Recent survey results showed that 1/3 of people working at Quorum come by public transport and we are confident that we can further increase that number with continued support from local bus companies.”
The bus exteriors feature Stagecoach’s new #BusPeople campaign, which takes a light-hearted look at the many different characters that come together on the bus. A video, currently being promoted on social media, challenges customers to take the quiz at www.stagecoachbuspeople.com to see if they are The Organiser, The Last-minuter, The Easy-goer, The Multi-tasker or The Talker.
To celebrate the launch, visitors to the Green Transport Event at the leading business park were invited to take part in the quiz to discover their bus personality and take a selfie with masks and other fun props which reflected their character.
For further information about Stagecoach North East please visit www.stagecoachbus.com