First Glasgow announces £14 million investment in new buses

First Glasgow, the city’s leading bus operator, has announced a £14.3 million investment in 89 brand new single decker buses.

The new buses, which are being manufactured by Falkirk based Alexander Dennis Limited, will support First Glasgow’s new network, SimpliCITY, and underlines the company’s commitment to encourage more people on to its services.

27 of the buses will begin transporting customers from June. First will reveal which route the new buses are to run on shortly. The remaining 62 vehicles will enter service from September and will be spread across the network, with most running on new SimpliCITY routes.

All the new buses will be fitted with leather seats and passengers will be able to enjoy complementary wi-fi. Meanwhile, the interior of each new vehicle has been modified to allow greater flexibility for both buggies and wheelchairs whilst providing additional grab rails for all passengers whether seated or standing.

This latest announcement brings First Glasgow’s investment in new vehicles to around £25 million since November 2012; a total of 151 buses.

Managing Director of First Glasgow, Ronnie Park, said: “This is good news for our customers. We are investing heavily in our fleet, which means more modern and better buses, cleaner buses and more environmentally friendly buses. It also means that by the end of the year more than 300 of our vehicles will be fitted with complementary wi-fi.”

He continued: “The arrival of brand new buses supports our plans to improve our network. The launch of SimpliCITY will significantly improve and simplify bus travel for the overwhelming majority of our customers. SimpliCITY will give our customers confidence that they can expect a bus every ten minutes or better during the day on the network. The investment in our fleet gives customers confidence that they will be boarding a modern, comfortable and user friendly bus.

“Ultimately our overall £25 million investment in 151 brand new buses reflects our aim to improve services for our customers and our commitment to encourage more people to use our services and to use them more often.”

The new vehicles introduced by First Glasgow are Enviro 300s, built by Falkirk based manufacturer Alexander Dennis. They all come fitted with low floor access and have the latest Euro V engines.

SimpliCITY, First Glasgow’s new network, will begin on May 26. It will provide a host of benefits for customers, including:

• First Glasgow will run SimpliCITY services every ten minutes or better during the day with many routes enjoying buses every five minutes.
• First will provide complementary wi-fi on more of its buses, with almost 300 to be in service by the end of the year.
• The network will be simplified, with many routes altered and re-numbered, making it easier for all customers to understand and use First Glasgow services.