Minister unveils £2million fleet of new buses for Coventry

Pat McFadden MP Minister for Employment has unveiled a new generation of ‘green’ buses for the City of Coventry at University Square this morning. This fleet of 15 new National Express Coventry buses will operate on the Foleshill Road corridor between Bedworth Longford and Bell Green and all of these vehicles will boast Euro 4 engines, further improving the sustainability of the bus fleet.National Express Coventry, (formerly Travel Coventry) has invested £2 million in the fleet of single deck buses, to further improve reliability and provide a service every five minutes in peak periods between Bedworth and Coventry. Pat McFadden, Minister for Employment, said: “Coventry is a vibrant City; it is a City that is one of the great drivers of the West Midlands local economy. Good public transport not only supplies the life blood of any City it is also the 'glue' of public service that binds together the most important parts of our own lifestyles. By that I mean that by providing links to work, leisure, health and family. There are fewer services that are valued more than transportation. I am delighted therefore to have been invited to celebrate National Express’s own commitment to the City with this enterprising investment in state of the art buses.” Bernard Delaney, Director of National Express Coventry, said: “We are committed to making travel simpler in Coventry and over the past twelve months we have heavily invested in the future of the city’s bus services. The latest investment brings in another new £2 million fleet of buses, all of which are fitted with euro 4 engines which will help reduce carbon emissions in the city, and provide easier access for the mobility impaired, wheelchair users and parents with buggies.” Last year National Express Coventry fitted the entire fleet with satellite technology which links with bus stops to provide real time arrival information for customers. This new customer information technology has been installed as part of the Primelines network - a partnership project between Coventry City Council, Centro and National Express Coventry - which aims to provide bus passengers with faster, more frequent buses and up-to-date timetable information.

Published 13th February 2009