Catching Up on Scottish Fleet News

Golden Moment As New Generation Enviro200s Join Whitelaws Fleet

Gold and silver were the order of the day when the first of six new Enviro200 MMC midi buses joined the ever-expanding fleet at Whitelaws Coaches, in Lanarkshire.

While five of the new vehicles sported the company’s stylish, silver livery, the sixth was seen by the family as a golden opportunity to celebrate the 50th wedding anniversary of George and Sandra Whitelaw, who founded the business 42 years ago.
“We couldn’t let this golden moment pass without doing something very special for mum and dad,” said Managing Director Sandra Whitelaw, “so with the arrival of the new-generation buses we decided on a commemorative vehicle liveried specially to mark their 50th wedding anniversary. The bus, which will run on route 254 between Strathaven, Stonehouse and East Kilbride will also be a reminder that from humble beginnings the Whitelaw family has been delivering bus and coach services across Lanarkshire, the UK and Europe for over 40 years.
“We now have a substantial business with 40 vehicles covering routes right across South and North Lanarkshire, facilitating millions of passenger journeys per year.” 
Sandra added:  “We are delighted with our six new Enviro200s. They are low carbon certified, Euro6 10.8m, 41-seater vehicles and are fitted to a very high specification with Mobitec LED destination boards, E-Leather Practico hi-back seats, 10 camera CCTV systems with T1600 recorders, and smart accessory packs.”

All six of the new buses are powered by Cummins ISBe 180 PS four-cylinder engines with Voith D824.6 transmission.

£4.5m ADL Deal Backs Growth Strategy At Mcgill’s Buses

Operating on more than 100 routes across West Central Scotland, from Largs on the coast to Lanarkshire, McGill’s Buses – Scotland’s largest privately-owned bus operator – goes from strength-to-strength and anticipates further growth in 2016.

The company, owned by brothers Sandy and James Easdale, now has a fleet of 400 vehicles, having added 40 Enviro200 midi buses to their line-up in recent months, as part of a £4.5m deal.
“We like the Alexander Dennis product”, said Ralph Roberts, Managing Director of McGill’s, “particularly the 10.8m, 39-seat version of the Enviro200. It handles well, performs superbly in terms of fuel economy, reliability and ease of maintenance, and is popular with both drivers and passengers.”  
Last year saw McGill’s leap 50 places to join the leading 400 companies in Scotland’s league table of top-performing businesses – and Ralph Roberts anticipates further expansion in the months ahead.
He commented: “We have ambitious growth plans for 2016 and I am confident that our continuous investment in quality vehicles like the Enviro200, a focused approach by our management team and sound supplier relationships such as the one we enjoy with Alexander Dennis Limited – plus the unswerving commitment and backing of our owners – will continue to drive the business forward this year, and beyond.” 
Charlie Miller, Regional Sales Manager at Alexander Dennis Limited, commented: “It is a pleasure to work with McGill’s Buses and to be part of their phenomenal success story. 

“From Greenock, Erskine, Clydebank, Johnstone, Paisley and Glasgow to Motherwell, Airdrie, Coatbridge, East Kilbride – and heading east to Kirkintilloch, Croy and Cumbernauld – the blue and white livery of McGill’s is flying the flag for what is the very best of the British bus industry, ie., the bringing together of quality staff with quality products and a combined, team approach to achieving total customer satisfaction.”