Vehicles are first of their kind to go into service in the UK outside London, after the operator bid farewell to its last remaining step-entrance Olympians
Blackpool Transport has showcased 10 of its brand new Alexander Dennis Ltd (ADL) Enviro400 City buses at a stakeholder launch event on the Promenade.
The new vehicles were officially launched by Cllr Christine Wright, Chairman of Blackpool Transport.
The buses, which are the first of their kind in the UK outside of London, represent a £2.2m investment and build on the £1.7m investment made in 10 new buses in 2015. Blackpool Transport said it is aiming to reduce the average age of its fleet to five years by 2020.
The Palladium branding and livery used on the vehicles was designed in a collaboration between Blackpool Transport and public transport marketing specialist JR Buzz.
The vehicles are specified with a number of added features, including E-Leather seats, wood effect flooring, free WiFi, USB charging points on the lower deck and next stop audio announcements.
Jane Cole, Managing Director for Blackpool Transport, said: “A vital part of our transport plans is the modernisation of our bus fleet and the introduction of next-generation, low emission vehicles.
“That journey has taken another significant step forward with the launch of these 10 ADL Enviro400 City buses today and our collaboration with ADL has allowed us to create a specific design for our customers, our drivers and will attract non bus users too.”
In addition to the unveiling of the new buses, Cllr Christine Wright also cut the ribbon and officially opened Blackpool Transport’s newly refurbished Customer Centre located on Market Street, another investment in developing the customer experience in Blackpool.
In addition to the launch event, Blackpool Transport held a farewell event for the last of its step entrance double-decker N-reg Volvo Olympians on Saturday, July 30.
The last remaining step entrance buses were the vehicles which the new Enviro400s Citys have replaced. They ran throughout the day on service 1, which operates between Fleetwood and Star Gate.
Bob Mason, Service Delivery Director at Blackpool Transport, told CBW: “We held a send-off for our last Olympians from first thing in the morning until last thing in the evening.
“It was quite a successful event and there was a lot of chatter on social media about it.
“The new Enviro400 Citys which have replaced them are already in service.”
