New £5.7m bus fleet launched in Hull

Major investment by Stagecoach celebrated at Clean Air Day event

Stagecoach East Midlands unveiled their £5.7million state-of-the-art buses in Hull at a special event on Clean Air Day which was enjoyed by members of the public.

The event saw the launch of the 31 new vehicles in Hull city centre on Thursday, while also raising awareness of air pollution on Clean Air Day. Members of the public enjoyed games and prizes as part of the celebrations, as well as a sneak preview of the new buses which will be hitting the roads in Hull this summer.

The high-spec, environmentally-friendly vehicles are fitted with Euro VI engines with low emissions and the latest start/stop technology as well as modern CCTV equipment and a new audio and visual ‘next stop’ announcement feature.

Matt Cranwell, Managing Director of Stagecoach East Midlands, said: “The event was a great success, with people taking part in the activities and celebrating the launch with us. Visitors particularly enjoyed seeing the new buses.

"We needed to raise the awareness of Clean Air Day and the issue of air pollution. Encouraging people to take the bus is key to reducing the number of cars; one full bus can take up to 75 cars off the road! This frees up road space, reduces emissions and improves air quality for the people of Hull."

Stagecoach East Midlands also gave away 1000 free bus tickets to promote the environmental benefits of bus travel and encourage people to reduce carbon emissions by leaving their cars at home and catching the bus instead.

This follows an investment of £1.25 million last year in contactless payment systems, making purchases available to all and on-bus transactions quicker and easier than ever. They also use a telematic system, which enables Stagecoach to monitor its vehicles in real time to improve fuel economy and provide a smooth, safe and comfortable journey for its customers.