Plaxton set to consolidate leadership in the UK coach sector

Plaxton, the Scarborough-based coach builder that forms parts of Alexander Dennis Limited (ADL) – Britain’s biggest bus and coach manufacturer – is on track to deliver more than 200 vehicles this year and secure over 20% of the UK market.

In a buoyant coach sector where registrations are running almost 20% ahead of 2014 volumes Plaxton is set to consolidate its position as Britain’s leading coach body builder.

Speaking at Coach & Bus Live, one of the industry’s leading exhibitions, Arthur Whiteside, ADL’s UK Sales Director, confirmed that the company has enjoyed strong sales right across its extensive coach range.

He commented: “Our recently launched Cheetah XL is going very well with over 50 now in service or in the production pipeline. The big appeal is  more passenger capacity, more luggage space and more performance,   and we have had reports on many fronts of exception fuel economy. That augurs well for the future.

“In addition, Panther, Leopard, Elite and Elitei models are proving as popular as ever and the appeal of our product range continues to reach across the whole spectrum of the industry, ranging from small, family-run businesses to larger operators such as Trent Barton, Parks of Hamilton, Stagecoach, National Express and the Ministry of Defence.”

Arthur Whiteside added:  “In the meantime, we continue to spread our wings and look towards Continental Europe where we have just delivered a second fleet of 25 Elitei inter-decks to PolskiBus, all to their striking new ‘gold specification’. Early reports are that the vehicles – like the original fleet – are proving hugely popular with both passengers and the operator, and are returning exception fuel economy figures.

“Inevitably, as PolskiBus continues to grow and expand in Europe we would hope to develop our strong working relationship with them.”