Never has a bus brand been so well recognised or received as the Transdev 36,
and now, the iconic Yorkshire brand is about to undertake an overhaul
that the company believes will see it become 'the finest bus route in the
country'.
They are investing £3.3m in 14 new buses, which have been designed
specifically for customers that travel between Ripon, Harrogate and
Leeds. The bespoke vehicles have been designed to give passengers
the ultimate journey experience, boasting quilted leather seats, free
superfast wifi, USB power points at every seat, Library 36, at seat tables and a glazed panoramic roof for 'star gazing'.
Transdev are already achieving over 95% customer satisfaction on the 36 and now the service is going to be 'redefined' as they strive to raise the bar even higher.
Alex Hornby, Transdev Chief Executive, said: “The 36
is a very special brand and one we're extremely proud of. It really was
a pioneer in bus travel back in 2003 when it launched the UK's first
leather seated twin-deck buses. It set the ultimate standard in local
bus travel and we're so excited to be trailblazing once more with these
amazing top of the range vehicles.
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Andrew Jones MP (left) and Alex Hornby,
Transdev Chief Executive |
We examined every detail of the journey experience, and we know our
customers love to have their own space. So we've done just that,
offering more leg room, sumptuous seats, work-stations and the
technology to be connected on the move. We've also teamed up with
Harrogate International Festivals to introduce a unique Library 36
on each bus. Our customers told us they liked to swap books on board,
so we thought it was a great opportunity to create a mobile library with
a difference!
In addition to the buses themselves, we've made improvements to the
overall service, with new faster journeys to and from Leeds at rush
hour, new night buses until 3.15am on Friday and Saturday nights, and
contactless ticketing which will be live next month; complementing our
popular mobile ticket app.”
"All of us at Transdev, including our new dedicated 36 driver team, are hugely excited and proud of the 36, and we can't wait to unleash the revitalised service on our customers.
The 36, will truly be 'riding redefined'.”
Andrew Jones MP for Harrogate & Knaresborough said: “I am so
pleased to see Transdev make such a remarkable investment in local
public transport. Buses can provide the fuel for our local economy and
this spectacular and unique 36 fleet is exactly the kind of thing that will encourage greater bus usage from current users and new passengers alike.”
The new buses went into service on the 24 January 2016, they run up to
every 15 minutes between Ripon, Harrogate and Leeds, 7 days a week.
