Go
North East has invested more than £500,000 in a fleet of brand-new
environmentally friendly single deck buses for its rural services in
Hexham and West Northumberland.
The
buses, built by Optare at their factory in Leeds, feature leather seats
with seatbelts and offer free wifi for all customers. The 30-seat buses
are able to accommodate a wheelchair and children’s buggies.
Local MP Guy Opperman visited Hexham to see the new buses for himself.
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Left Guy Opperman MP & right Kevin Carr MD of Go North East |
Mr.
Opperman said: “It’s great to see a local bus company investing not just
in its city and urban services but in its country buses too. Tynedale
Links provides an important service, joining together communities
in Allendale, Haltwhistle, Bellingham and Stamfordham and providing
essential connections and buses onwards towards the rest of the region.”
Last
year Go North East was able to restore an important commuter link lost
decades ago with a through bus from Bellingham to Newcastle via Hexham,
providing a service for workers and college students from the
North Tyne valley.
Kevin
Carr, managing director of Go North East, said: “Since 2010, we’ve
replaced Hexham’s fleet of buses on our ‘Ten’ service along the Tyne
Valley not once but twice. New single deck buses proved so popular that
they were replaced with new double deckers. Now our local ‘Tynedale
Links’ buses have been replaced with new low carbon emission buses that
provide a better customer experience and are good for the environment.
Hexham’s bus fleet
is now one of the cleanest in the country.”
..