Alexander Dennis, a subsidiary of NFI Group Inc., one of the world’s leading independent global bus manufacturers, today announced that public sector service delivery specialist Vertas has added seven new Plaxton coaches to its passenger transport fleet.
The six Plaxton Leopard coaches and a Plaxton Panther are all part of a fleet used by Vertas to transport over 1,250 mainstream as well as special education needs and disabilities students on behalf of Suffolk County Council every day.
All of the new coaches are 12.8m long, built on Volvo B8R chassis and meet PSV Accessibility Regulations (PSVAR) with destination displays and side-mounted wheelchair lifts. While the Plaxton Panther seats up to 61 in a 2+2 arrangement, the six Plaxton Leopard coaches have a 3+2 layout with up to 72 seats.
Sam Makalandawa, Operations Manager at Vertas, says: “At Vertas, we pride ourselves in acting with sustainability, consistency, integrity, partnership and agility – and our relationship with Alexander Dennis perfectly fits our ethos, giving us a reliable partner that responds to our requirements. We pride ourselves by providing over half a million seats capacity per academic year transporting the most precious thing in the world – children – where we maintain zero tolerance on compromising safety. These new coaches have been an excellent addition to our fleet, further enhancing our standards.”
Alexander Dennis Regional Sales Manager Martin Dunleavy adds: “Students in Suffolk now enjoy better school transport than ever thanks to Vertas’s landmark investment in seven new coaches. All of them have been built in Britain, ensuring that money is reinvested in our communities to benefit future generations.”