Stagecoach Group has announced plans to buy and lease more than 520 new buses and coaches for its operations across the UK this year and next.
The £52 million investment includes purchasing 360 vehicles for the coming financial year, from a variety of manufacturers.
Alexander Dennis, Scania, Plaxton and Volvo will be contracted to supply a total of 255 double-deckers, 74 single-deckers, 166 midi-buses, 28 coaches and 64 hybrid vehicles.
Stagecoach has also confirmed plans to lease more than 160 new vehicles for its bus operations in London, which were acquired in October 2010.
The company says continuing environmental pressures are part of the reason for the investment in new buses. "Minimising carbon emissions is a key factor in our investment programme," explains Les Warneford, managing director of Stagecoach UK Bus.
"We want to play our part in reducing the impact of travel on the environment," he continues. "We believe there is a big opportunity to attract car users to the benefits of greener, smarter bus travel and cut our own carbon footprint."
