Alexander Dennis, a subsidiary of NFI Group Inc., one of the world’s leading independent global bus manufacturers, today announced that it has worked with Mistral Bus & Coach to supply two new Alexander Dennis Enviro200 low-emission buses and a new Plaxton Leopard coach to the London Borough of Havering.
The council operation in East London continues to develop commercial opportunities for private hires and contracted work to meet local demand and to reduce the cost of meeting its statutory obligation to provide special educational needs and disabilities home-to-school transport.
Latest additions to the fleet are a pair of 8.9m Enviro200, each seating up to 28 passengers, and a 72-seat Plaxton Leopard coach. They are rented from Mistral Bus & Coach, with maintenance handled by the Borough’s own technicians.
Accessibility is a strong feature on all the new vehicles, with the low-floor buses providing easy access through the main entrance and the coach fitted with a wheelchair lift to meet PSV Accessibility Regulations (PSVAR). All have three-point belts on fixed seats as well as lap belts on the Enviro200’s tip-ups.
While the Plaxton Leopard is used for longer-distance hires, the Alexander Dennis Enviro200 are employed on local work such as swimming trips and educational visits as well as on rail replacement. Thanks to their short length and resulting manoeuvrability, the new Enviro200 are also useful for home-to-school workings where demand is increasing.
“Alexander Dennis’s ability to offer us the right vehicle specification for our work and the flexibility offered by Mistral’s rental solutions have been key to growing commercial focus.”
Ian Dunsdon, Transport Contracts Manager for the London Borough of Havering, said: “We’re delighted to add these additional vehicles to our fleet, allowing us to even better respond to demand for our services. Alexander Dennis’s ability to offer us the right vehicle specification for our work and the flexibility offered by Mistral’s rental solutions have been key to growing commercial focus.”
With the new vehicles, the London Borough of Havering has now built up a fleet of eleven Alexander Dennis Enviro200 buses and six Plaxton Leopard coaches since 2020.
Alexander Dennis Regional Sales Manager Mark Taylor said: “It’s a pleasure to continue to support the London Borough of Havering as it grows its operation and to see our buses and coaches adapt to a variety of operating roles. The Enviro200 in particular is a very sustainable choice thanks to its SmartPack technology which enhances fuel efficiency, reduces carbon emissions and brings down operating cost.”
The Enviro200’s low-emission credentials are further boosted by the London Borough of Havering’s choice of gas-to-liquid (GTL) synthetic fuel and hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) instead of fossil diesel. GTL fuel burns more cleanly, reducing particulate and NOx emissions to put less of a strain on local residents’ respiratory systems, while HVO also cuts out carbon emissions.
Oli Fuller, Regional Sales Manager for Mistral Bus & Coach, said: “I’m delighted to have played a part in the delivery of these new vehicles to the London Borough of Havering. The vehicles are certain to tick all the boxes for them, as well as meeting the operator’s emission requirements. I’m sure that the style and comfort provided by the vehicles will be greatly appreciated by the borough’s customers.”
