The UK coach and bus market has closed 2015 with a 22.8% rise in sales to 9,025 units – the industry’s best performance in seven years.
Registrations in December saw an impressive 31.6% increase, marking eight consecutive months of growth.
Bigger buses continued to drive sector growth in 2015, as heavier single-deckers and double-deckers rose by 26.7% and 35.3% respectively.
Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive, said: “2015 has been a very positive year for the British coach and bus market, with registrations increasing by more than a fifth to surpass 9,000 units for the first time since 2008.
“We have also seen greater consistency in the market – an impressive 11 out of 12 months showed growth, with nine of these showing double-digit rises.
“With significant growth enjoyed across all market segments in December, the outlook for coach and bus in 2016 remains positive.”
ADL in particular enjoyed a successful 2015, delivering almost 1,230 vehicles – a 43% market share and a rise in UK registrations of over 20%.
The manufacturer secured 47% of the UK midibus market, 37% of the UK double-decker market and 44% of the UK single-decker market. The company expects this to result in a 20% increase in turnover, taking total sales to around £600m.
