Pretty Pinks for First Norwich

The following is a copy of a press release from First's website which can be viewed here. 

On Tuesday 19 April, First Eastern Counties is introducing a further nine brand new buses with an investment of £1.8m onto its fleet.

The buses will be on show outside the Forum between 10;00 and 14;00 for people to come and view. In addition, we will have a team of staff present to answer any questions people have about our new buses and the benefits they will bring to the City. 

The buses are destined to run on our ‘NEW Pink Line’ service 11/12, serving Norwich and Norfolk Hospital, Sprowston and Wroxham Roys via Norwich City Centre and the rail station. 

With a journey time of only 35 minutes and with a 15 minute frequency throughout the main day, it provides customers with a direct, fast, reliable and great value alternative to taking the car.

The ‘NEW’ Pink line identity that has been fitted to the new buses is stylish, prominent, vibrant and promotes route and fares information relevant to the service. The new external design aims to remove and break down any barriers and uncertainty people may have on where the bus runs to and also to encourage and welcome new customers to give the bus a try. 

Our new buses come fitted with leather seats, CCTV and Wi-Fi providing customers with free internet access during their journey.  In addition to the dedicated space for wheelchair users, extra space is provided for pushchairs.

First Eastern Counties also revealed that all new vehicles will be fitted with Euro 6 engines, a strong commitment to improving air quality within the city. Test results show that running eight Euro 6 buses produces the same amount of certain exhaust emissions, including nitrogen Oxides of Nitrogen (NOx) and Particulate Matter (PM), as running one bus with a Euro 5 engine*.  The new vehicles will have a positive impact on air quality in the City and surrounding areas. 

Steve Wickers, Business Director for First Eastern Counties said: “Our further £1.8m investment in nine brand new double deck vehicles into the city is great news for our customers. We introduced 11 brand new single deck buses back in October 2015 at a value of £1.9m, this overall investment clearly shows our commitment and dedication to provide ever better bus services in our area and encourage more people to travel by bus.  These new vehicles will be among the best and most eco-friendly in the city.

“Passengers can enjoy a modern design with a specific identity, more comfortable journeys and keep connected on the move with our free Wi-Fi, while we support the efforts of our local authority partners to improve air quality for all.”
The new buses, which will be manufactured by Wrightbus based in County Antrim, Northern Island, are all Department for Transport ‘low carbon certified’, making them amongst the most fuel efficient buses on the market.  

*Tests by First Bus manufacturing partners Wrightbus compared emissions from buses with a Euro 6 engine against buses with a Euro 5 engine.  The results showed:
·    a 99% reduction in Carbon Monoxide emissions
·    an 87% reduction in Oxides of Nitrogen emissions
·    an 87% reduction in Particulate Matter emissions.