£2.5 million investment in 12 brand new double deck buses
High-spec vehicles feature free customer WiFi and USB charging points
100% British built with latest ‘Euro 6’ cleaner and greener engines
Buses hit the road on popular ‘Wave’ route 99 along the coast
Ultra-convenient smart phone tickets and contactless payment available
Stagecoach customers along the East Sussex coast can now enjoy an even more comfortable bus ride as the company launch a brand new fleet of buses.
£2.5 million worth of ultramodern double deck buses are now out on the roads. The new buses operate on the popular coastal route 99, branded the ‘Wave’, between Hastings and Eastbourne. The 12 new state-of-the-art vehicles are designed to accommodate passengers in comfort and convenience. As well as being more environmentally friendly, the buses feature free WiFi and USB charging points for customers to keep connected and fully charged whilst on the move.
The company’s managing director, Philip Norwell, said: “This is exciting news for our customers and for people thinking of choosing to use the bus. The route maintains important links between coastal towns and with these new buses we hope to tempt even more people to try the service.”
Stagecoach says that the 99 route carried more than 1.3 million passengers in 2017, saving vast numbers of car journeys.
Mr Norwell added “These buses aren’t just about providing comfortable seats. People want to use their travel time to catch-up and stay connected. Our free WiFi and USB charging will allow them to do this, contributing to our customers’ overall journey experience whilst reducing our impact on the environment.”
The British built Alexander Dennis buses are ‘Euro 6’ compliant, meaning that the engines meet the latest European emissions standards which are recognised as among the most stringent in the developed world. The new buses, along with all other Stagecoach buses in the south east, run on a greener fuel blend which contains at least 20% biofuel derived from a range of waste products.
For comfort the buses come with high-back faux-leather seats and on the outside the buses sport a new and refreshed ‘Wave’ livery featuring a montage inspired by the seaside route.
The new buses coincide with the company’s investment in digital technology which is transforming the journey experience for its customers. Contactless payment went live on all Stagecoach services in Kent and East Sussex last year, pioneering the use of this technology on buses outside of London. Stagecoach also launched a mobile App offering customers the facility to instantly buy and download day and week tickets to their smartphone. The Stagecoach Bus App is available free from the App Store (iPhone) and Google Play (Android). The App offers a simple journey planning tool and users can access live running times to check the status of their journey with live tracking information before catching the bus.
To promote the introduction of the new vehicles, the company held events in Eastbourne and Hastings town centre last week, giving the public a chance to see the new buses first hand. Local entertainer ‘Uncle Bumble’ did some balloon modelling and Stagecoach staff handed out over 2,000 free ‘Wave’ promotional bags. The bags were packed with goodies including a ‘Wave’ branded USB cable that can be used with the USB charging points on the new buses. A private launch event was held at the De La Warr Pavilion in Bexhill for local partners and investors, attendees included the MP for Bexhill and Battle, Huw Merriman and local celebrity Sandra Martin, best known for her role on the Gogglebox television show.
On Mondays to Saturdays Wave route 99 buses run every 20 minutes serving Silverhill, Hastings town centre, St Leonards, Bexhill and Eastbourne. On Sundays the route operates hourly. For more information visit the Stagecoach website: www.stagecoachbus.com
About Stagecoach
Stagecoach is one of the biggest bus operators in the UK, running around 7,000 vehicles in nearly 100 towns and cities in the UK.
Stagecoach Group’s headquarters are in Perth, Scotland, where it began operating in 1980 with just two buses. The company floated on the London Stock Exchange in 1993 and now has an annual turnover of around £1.3 billion.
Stagecoach South East is one of 18 locally managed companies within Stagecoach Group.
Stagecoach South East headquarters are in Canterbury and the company currently runs 470 buses and coaches, employs over 1,300 staff and carries over 45 million passengers per annum.
