Built on the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter chassis, each bus can carry 22 passengers and is powered by a four-cylinder 163bhp Euro V1 engine.
Arriva’s internal specification includes E-leather trimmed seating, Wi-Fi, USB charging points and CCTV.
Mark Wynne, general manager for Arriva Winsford, says: “We looked at a wide range of potential vehicles that would be suitable for use on these routes when we were sourcing our buses, but they were more ‘van like’ and offered a lot less capacity.
“The Strata provides seating for up to 22, while giving a very good first impression by being much more ‘bus like’ than many others on the market. The passengers really like them too, particularly as they include all the features and benefits that they would expect on a standard sized bus.”
The vehicles are already achieving 18mpg, he says, and they are already delivering savings compared to the previous 30- or 35-seaters in use on these routes.
“We believe the Strata to be a state-of-the-art bus which is certainly going down very well with everyone who sees and uses it,” adds Wynne.