Press releases

• Arriva to invest £84 million in new buses in 2005
• Around 600 new buses ordered for the UK and mainland Europe
• Total Arriva bus investment 2002-2005: £320 million

Arriva, the transport services organisation, has announced an investment of over £84 million in new buses for its operations across Europe .

This brings Arriva's total investment in new buses in the UK and mainland Europe over the last four years to nearly £320 million.

The new vehicles are set to be delivered during 2005 and constitute: 320 vehicles for the UK , 104 for Sweden , and 73 for Denmark . Arriva's bus operations in Italy , Spain , Portugal and Germany will together take delivery of over 100 buses.

Bob Davies, Arriva's chief executive, said:

This investment represents our continuing commitment to delivering growth in each of our eight European operations. It also reflects our focus on improving services through innovation and by offering customers a more comfortable and reliable service.

David Martin, group managing director – operations, said:

Across Europe we work in a number of different operating environments and the investment principally reflects the winning of new tenders.

Where we decide to locate these new vehicles in the UK will be determined by how best they will be received and the benefits that local authorities and Arriva working in partnership can secure for bus passengers.

We invest consistently in our fleet of over 12,000 buses across Europe , and are focused on long-term requirements.

Notes to editors

• In the UK, the buses are set for Arriva's businesses in London, Midlands, North East, North West, Shires and Essex, and Southern Counties. The vehicle order for the UK comprises: 104 double deck, 24 single deck, 6 coaches, 46 articulated and 10 open topped vehicles.
• The Group's London sightseeing business – The Original Tour – is to bring the first ever wheelchair accessible open-topped vehicles to the capital – with ten brand new buses.