The first buses in a brand new fleet for Orkney are set to arrive from October.
It’s part of a £5.4m investment in 34 buses in a partnership between Stagecoach and Orkney Islands Council.
The agreement will cover an eight-year period from 2021 through to 2029.
Built by Volvo, the buses are designed to a specification set by Stagecoach and the council specifically for the bus network on mainland Orkney.
Every bus is low-floor entry for easy access for all bus users, with leather seats and seatbelts at every seat.
The new fleet will also feature contactless payments on board and live bus tracking that bus users can access by downloading a free Stagecoach mobile app.
David Beaton, Stagecoach Highland managing director, said: “We are really pleased with the pictures we’ve seen of the new fleet for Orkney.
“We are always committed to doing everything we can to encourage more people to use the bus for their travel needs and we can’t wait to welcome even more people on board our services in Orkney in the future.”
Chair of the council’s Development and Infrastructure Committee, councillor Graham Sinclair, said: “A huge amount of work has gone on behind the scenes to reach this point and I am delighted that the first five new buses will make the long journey to Orkney for arrival in the autumn.
“This is in recognition of the importance for the Orkney community of reliable and fully accessible public bus services.
“We listened to the travelling public and the significant investment will mean brand new fleet for all school and public bus services operated by Stagecoach – a vast improvement and one which maximises our ability to provide reliable and comfortable bus services.”
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