Award-winning operator Horseman Coaches, based in Berkshire, has completed a five-year £10m investment programme with the introduction of a further 10 Euro6 Plaxton Panthers.
All of the new vehicles are 12.8m 53-seat luxury executive coaches with D8K engines and I-Shift transmissions, complete with parallel lift lockers, kitchenettes/servers, fridges, toilets, sophisticated entertainment and CCTV camera systems.
They form part of an on-going programme of investment in low emission, state-of-the-art vehicles, employee training, welfare facilities and consistent technology advancement at the company’s modern 56,000 sq. ft. warehouse, depot and administration centre in Reading.
With a fleet of 60 vehicles, which is split evenly in terms of Euro6 and Euro5 models, Horseman Coaches is well placed to stay at the forefront of the industry as the London ULEZ (Ultra Low Emission Zone) comes into force in a few months.
Company Director James Horseman commented: “Being based in Berkshire and doing a lot of business inside the M25 corridor, such as corporate work and airport transfers, we have to stay ahead of legislative change, which we are consistently striving to do, however we also have to be realistic and acknowledge that we cannot replace all 60 of our coaches overnight.
“That means balancing our fleet and using Euro5 Cheetah, Leopard, Panther and Elite models for school contracts, private hires, day trips and tours outside the London and M25 zone, while introducing their Euro6 counterparts for work within the ULEZ.”
He added: “In parallel with this we work relentlessly on our ever-evolving business model, which has to anticipate how the next round of green initiatives from government and regional authorities will impact. It is a constant challenge with one eye on today and another on the future.”
