Arriva enlisted the aid of Titan the robot to launch the new X93 and the upgraded 415 buses which serve Middlesbrough, Whitby and Scarborough, and Selby, The Designer Outlet and York respectively.
There are six X93 buses and eight 415 buses, which represent an investment of £1.4m and feature free onboard WiFi, high backed leather-style seating and the Arriva journey planner app.
The 415 buses have been upgraded with new Civic 3 seats in environmentally sourced leather, WiFi, new ambient interiors and new external livery. The buses all feature clear messaging around the Arriva apps, the m-ticket and the journey planner on the internal covings.
The WiFi has been funded by a £320,000 Government grant, as part of York’s status as one of 22 SuperConnected Cities.
The new X93 buses are Volvo B9s and the vehicles they replace have been refurbished and will be heading to Newcastle.
The city’s council cabinet member for transport David Levene said he hoped the new facilities would encourage more people to travel by bus.
Nigel Featham, Regional Managing Director for Arriva North East and Yorkshire said: “The MAX interurban concept offers a great package of benefits for passengers. We are constantly working towards improving the journey experience for our customers and we are confident that more people will see the benefits of bus travel with MAX.”
He added: “Our aim is to encourage even more people to travel by bus and increase passenger numbers by 18% by 2015. This is just another way in which we’re helping to make bus travel more attractive for new and existing commuters.”
