Press releases

• Arriva to invest in excess of £10 million in Medway Towns bus services
• 61 new buses to start service in one day

Bus passengers in the Southern Counties are set to reap the benefits of an investment of more than £10 million in local bus services by Arriva.

Arriva, which operates bus services throughout the region, has chosen the Medway Towns to be the focal point of a unique investment programme that will see 61 new vehicles introduced on a single day. In addition, another 40 modern vehicles will undergo a complete refurbishment.

In this unprecedented public transport boost, the new fleet will include 49 double deck buses and 12 single deck buses, all of which will feature low-floor, easy access to help those with limited mobility and parents with young children.

The state-of-the-art-vehicles will feature car-like levels of comfort including seating with headrests, tinted windows, an innovative visual announcement system, and a distinctive new 'look and feel' giving an improved ambience and a better travelling experience.

As well as investing in the new vehicles, Arriva will be improving other areas of the service, with additional customer service training for drivers and route upgrades. Many bus stops will be improved to include easy-to-understand timetables and real-time route information.

Councillor Phil Filmer, portfolio holder for Medway Council Highways and Transport, said:

This is excellent news. We are absolutely delighted that Arriva has decided to invest in Medway. Public transport plays a vital role in Medway and will continue to do so. It is essential that we provide a sustainable public transport system that is reliable and trusted so that residents think bus before they think car.

Kevin Hawkins, commercial director for Arriva Southern Counties, said:

We believe, by introducing so many new vehicles into service at one time, in one place, that this is the most significant vehicle investment any bus operator has ever made in the UK.

We have chosen the Medway Towns to receive this investment as the region is ripe for bus passenger growth and the new vehicles will complement the region's comprehensive, easy to understand network. Our investment here reinforces our commitment to providing people with real transport options and represents a step change for the future of public transport in the Medway Towns.

Ends

Notes to editors

• There will be a launch event in early May where the first bus will be unveiled. The buses will be paraded on Sunday 13 June before going into service the next day.
• Arriva plc is one of the largest transport services organisations in Europe, providing more than one billion passenger journeys every year.
• Arriva is one of the UK's largest bus operators, with over 6,000 vehicles serving customers in the North East, North West and South East of England, Yorkshire, the Midlands, Scotland and Wales.