Northampton bus operator reveals 99 per cent reliability figure
A Northampton bus operator says it has run 99 per cent of the miles it was scheduled to operate since the start of the year.
Stagecoach Midlands released the reliability figure during Catch the Bus Month, which runs throughout September and aims to highlight the role of bus services in local communities.
The company records the number of scheduled miles it operates, including those it is unable to run because of issues such as congestion, diversions or driver illness.
Mark Whitelocks, managing director of Stagecoach Midlands, said: “We know that our customers rely on our services for important life events, like getting to work and attending hospital appointments, so it is crucial that we get it right.”
The figures come shortly after Stagecoach launched 54 new electric buses in Northampton following a £32.1 million investment in vehicles and charging infrastructure.
The project was supported by £9.5 million of grant funding from West Northamptonshire Council and the Department for Transport.
Stagecoach said the 54 vehicles represented its biggest order of new buses for Northampton in around 100 years.
The electric buses also require servicing less frequently than diesel vehicles, with checks carried out every four weeks rather than every six weeks.