East
Coast Buses, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lothian Buses has invested over £3m in fifteen brand new
Wrightbus Euro 6 single deck vehicles, for residents and visitors to
the East Lothian County.
Working
in close partnership with Wrightbus on both build and design and
further developing the existing Lothian Buses bespoke design; these
Euro 6 single deck vehicles feature the new standardised interior
trim, accented in the East Coast Buses brand.
Richard
Hall, Managing Director
for Lothian Buses said: “We are delighted to once again be working
in partnership with Wrightbus to offer our customers a unique, high
quality, bespoke vehicle, which has been specifically designed with
their comfort and safety in mind.
“From
concept to reality, every element of these vehicles has been reviewed
in detail to ensure that our customers are able to travel in a warm
and comfortable environment. Our investment in these vehicles shows
our continued commitment to the local community, building on our
promise to provide the county with a first class service.”
These
custom built vehicles feature the latest Euro 6 Volvo B8RLE chassis
and are fitted with USB charging points, upgraded heating systems, as
well as five glass roof panels, specially coated in UV protection to
create a bright saloon area. Two
tone wood effect flooring and significantly
improved lighting with the introduction of spot lights and centre
roof strip lighting, accented in a mild green effect add to the
interior ambience. The vehicles also feature under seat warm white
lighting and puddle lighting on the entrance taking in to
consideration the rural areas where customers board and alight.
These
new two-axle single door vehicles with two tier luggage racks are the
first ever Wrightbus single decker’s to feature the new stealth
designed front and at 13.2m long they are also the longest single
deck vehicles they have ever produced. The
specification accommodates 40-seated passengers with an overall
capacity of 79.
Sam
McLaren,
Commercial Director for Wrightbus commented: “We are delighted to
now be delivering this important launch order of Eclipse 3 single
deck buses to Lothian Buses. Lothian Buses are well recognised
as an innovative bus operator and it is gives our company great
pleasure to know that they have been quick to endorse the new look
product and Wrightbus as a long term business partner.”
East
Coast Buses has also invested in high quality seating for customers
due to the average length of time a customer will spend on board.
Lazzerini’s GTS 3600, accented in grey leather to enhance the East
Coast Buses moquette used in the inner seat panels, along with arm
rests have been installed on all vehicles to enhance customer
comfort. Seating arrangements on board are also different to that of
a normal single deck vehicle in the form of a tiered theatre effect
to create better visibility, including in the low floor area.
Each
vehicle also features two multi-media screens from Hanover Display.
One will display next stop/service information; while the other will
feature news feeds and twitter updates.
Each
vehicle is double glazed and feature white Hanover Display
destination screens, showing sharp, bright, clear route destinations
and numbers, while alloy
wheels create a signature overall external appearance.
The
company, which carries over 60,000 passengers per week, recently announced improved service changes, taking effect on
23rd
April, which will see key routes extended and the introduction of an
express service between North Berwick and Edinburgh city centre.
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