New double-decker buses introduced next month.
The Isle of Man’s bus fleet will receive six new double-decker buses at a cost of £1.4 million.
The new buses are the first of their kind purchased by Bus Vannin since the Covid epidemic, and they will replace those that have been in operation for up to 14 years.
The government-owned public transport company intends to paint two of the vehicles in nostalgic colours to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the beginning of a nationalised bus service next year.
Infrastructure Minister Michelle Haywood stated that the new buses would feature “the latest clean diesel technology and an eco-efficient gearbox,” which would help to minimise pollution.
BUS VANNINThe new additions to the fleet will be “more efficient than the ones they replace” while preserving the “reliable, clean, and comfortable service” on which the island’s residents relied, the minister explained.
Built in Northern Ireland, the new buses will arrive on the island in November. Ian Bates, director of Bus Vannin, stated that the fleet’s buses were replaced on a “rolling basis”.
“As the buses age, they become unreliable, require additional maintenance and are prone to gearbox or engine failures, which can cost over £35,000 to replace.”
He stated that the buses being replaced in 2025 have travelled around 600,000 miles (695,906 km) over their lifetimes.
One of the new vehicles will be painted in the same yellow as the former Douglas Corporation bus fleet, while another will be painted in the red associated with Isle of Man Road Services.
The two businesses combined in October 1976 to establish Isle of Man National Transport, today known as Bus Vannin.
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