New buses hit the road

WARRINGTON Borough Transport has unveiled six new environmentally friendly low floor buses that will operate the Penketh route.
The brand new Optare Solo minibuses, which cost £750,000, come into operation today (Tuesday) and take over from the high floor single-deck buses that have served the Penketh public for the last 13 years.
WBT managing director David Squire said: “Following the testing of a demonstrator bus last year, we received a lot of feedback from both customers and drivers. Using this information, we were able to work with Optare to design a bespoke Warrington bus that gives a bright and roomy interior, and we hope that our customers on the Penketh routes will benefit from these new buses for many years to come.”
The buses are environmentally friendly with Euro 5 Engines and contain full CCVT systems for customer safety. They have also been specified with high backed seats and updated interiors for customer comfort.
WBT currently operates 118 buses, carrying nine million passengers annually.
The company was named UK Bus Operator of the Year and Shire Bus Operator of the year in 2008.
Pictured (L-R) Operations Director Charlie Shannon, Managing Director David Squire, Chairman Cllr. Les Hoyle, Cllr. David Earle and Comercial Manager Phil Pearson, with the new buses outside Warrington Town Hall.