Stagecoach in East Kent has invested £3m in 27 new Enviro 200s which were launched on May 10.
The uneviling took place at the Royal Esplanade in Ramsgate and was attended by the two Thanet MPs and local mayors & councillors. The new buses operate in Margate, Ramsgate and Broadstairs on the so called Thanet Loop.
The vehicles feature a new livery and have Euro 5 specification engines. After the last frequency increase on the Loop in October, buses now run around every seven minutes Mondays to Saturdays and every 10 minutes on Sundays. Stagecoach is letting local residents try the service for free by posting out 18,000 free travel vouchers, with a further 37,000 half price travel vouchers being distributed to households around Thanet.
Paul Southgate, MD of Stagecoach in East Kent, said: “The number of passengers using the Loop has more than doubled to over 4.5m per year since its introduction in 2004 due to us continually improving the service by increasing the frequency and the number of buses on the route. Our efforts are supported by Thanet District Council and Kent County Council through our QP.
“The new bus fleet is great news for Loop passengers as the new interiors provide more room for wheelchair users and pushchairs.”
