Harrogate Bus Company introduces new buses for route 70 and 71

A fleet of Wrightbus Eclipse-bodied Volvo B7RLEs is now in service in Yorkshire as a popular seven-days-a-week service linking Harrogate, Wetherby, Seacroft and Leeds benefits from an upgrade.

The news follows a surge in passenger numbers on the 770 and 771 routes, especially between Harrogate and Wetherby where the service was increased from two to three buses an hour on weekdays earlier this year.

The services have now been renumbered to become the 70 and 71– with refurbished buses equipped with free WiFi and USB power points at every seat as standard.

Neale Wallace, Head of Transport Operations at the West Yorkshire Combined Authority and Cll Phil Ireland, Cabinet Member for Sustainable Transport at Harrogate Borough Council, joined in the celebrations to launch the new routes at the Stockeld Park adventure park near Wetherby, as both the 70 and 71 bus routes stop outside its gates.

As an added incentive, Stockeld Park is also offering a 10% discount on family admission tickets for the attraction to holders of a ‘Transdev Treats’ voucher, available from the driver when boarding the 70 or 71 bus.

The Harrogate Bus Company’s CEO, Alex Hornby, said: “We’re really pleased to see more and more people choosing to travel with us.

“Now the time has come for us to bring in fantastic buses which will be smarter than anything seen before on these popular services.

“From the moment our customers step on board, they can now see a big difference – with plush designer interiors, more comfortable seats and a next-stop information system.

“Our improvements are also much more than skin deep. We’re also installing the same SCRT emissions reduction technology which has proved so successful in cutting NOx emissions by up to 96% on our Route 1 buses between Harrogate and Knaresborough, to make sure our revitalised 70 and 71 services are as good for the environment as they are for our passengers.”