Following on from the announcement in February that the Rotala Group placed an order of new buses worth over £29million, Preston Bus this week have had the opportunity to unveil 2 brand new Streetdecks to their fleet at an event outside Royal Preston Hospital.
Among the guests were Cabinet Member for Economic Development, Environment and Planning Cllr Michael Green, Andrew Varley, Public Transport Manger for Lancashire County Council and David Thompson, Assistant Director Resilience, Estates and Facilities Division, Royal Preston Hospital along with Preston Buses Operation Manager Dave Wright and Engineering Manager Ricky Burns.
All of the new vehicles will meet Euro 6 emissions standards meeting the Government’s Low Carbon Emission Bus specification to improve fuel consumption and reduce emissions and are Micro Hybrid V3 low-floor double-decker vehicles. Every new vehicle will be fitted with CCTV and USB charging points (an added luxury for the modern technological era) along with E leather seats.
The new Preston buses carry a refreshed blue livery, keeping Preston Bus’ identity but linking it to the overall Rotala brand within in the North West.
John Asquith General Manager of Preston Bus says: “These two buses are our initial two, we have two more arriving this week and subsequently they will be on the road later this week on our route 23.
We chose this route as it serves some local destinations in Preston these being: UCLAN (the University of Central Lancashire), Royal Preston Hospital, Fulwood schools and links to the employment area in the north-east of the city which contains a number of important businesses that we work closely with.
John goes on; “Wrights have had a difficult period over the past year, but we believe that it is important to work with a strong partner and believe that the acquisition by the Bamford family now puts Wrightbus is in a good position. We have a strong working relationship with Wrights in recent years and it’s important that a group of our size establishes a partner to work with long term”.
John continues: “it is not just about the supply of buses but it’s also about being able to have confidence in the ongoing back-up for service and spares”. Equally, as an operator its focussing on punctuality and reliability 100% of the time.
At the event was Cllr Michael Green, Cabinet Member for Economic Development, Environment and Planning, he said: “I am pleased to see this significant investment in new buses in the Preston area by the Rotala Group. These new vehicles will make a big impact on the route to the Royal Preston Hospital, the University of Central Lancashire and the employment areas of east Preston and shows Preston Bus’s ongoing commitment to public transport in the city.
“These new vehicles are very clean, using the latest Euro 6 diesel engines, and also feature USB sockets, so customers can charge their technology whilst on the go. They will hopefully be very attractive for the local community. This is good news for Preston and is particularly welcome in these difficult times. I would encourage people to give these new buses a try as lockdown eases.”
Also at the event was Andrew Varley, Public Transport Manger for Lancashire County Council, said “These new additions to the Preston Bus fleet should make a big impact across the city in their striking new blue livery.
“We look forward to further new investment in the city and continuing to work with Preston Bus to encourage people to use buses, which have continued to provide a vital service during the Covid-19 pandemic. As available capacity increases on buses there is more opportunity to give one of these new vehicles a try, however I’d ask people to please remember to wear a face covering when using all forms of public transport at the current time.”
Jonathan Wood, Deputy Chief Executive and Finance Director at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said:
“The 23 service is one of the most popular at Royal Preston Hospital, providing a punctual and friendly experience for our staff and for visitors. We are very grateful to Preston Bus for this service, as it helps to reduce congestion around our busiest site. The colourful new interiors are a welcome improvement to the buses, which many of our staff and visitors rely on greatly.”