A visit to First Bus’s Great Yarmouth depot has revealed the rewards of Norfolk County Council and First Bus’s £13.8m investment in the region’s bus services.
It involved representatives from the council being shown the service’s 10 new electric double-decker buses and their modernised charging infrastructure, as well as meeting colleagues at the depot.
The move has been enabled through a partnership between First Bus and Norfolk County Council, with the former providing £8.9m of the funding and the latter contributing the rest through the Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP).
To further enhance the travel experience for residents, the partnership has also delivered infrastructure improvements, priority measures, and initiatives that boost the reliability and accessibility of services.
Overall, the transformation project aims to provide quieter and more reliable transport across the county.
It has also contributed to local growth and skills development through the employment of 156 people at the depot – such as engineering apprentices who will be trained to maintain the latest models of electric buses.
David Mitchell, Service Delivery Director for First Bus East, said: ‘These new buses represent much more than new vehicles. They’re an investment in our passengers, our colleagues and the future of public transport in Norfolk.
‘Customers are already benefiting from quieter, smoother and more comfortable journeys, while our upgraded depot gives us the infrastructure we need to support reliable services for years to come.’
Sign up here to receive our free weekly news bulletin and quarterly e-book.
Photo: © First Bus.
Leave a Reply