Stagecoach has announced plans to invest £80m in a fleet of some 470 new buses all of which come with CCTV and some with wi-fi, giving passengers free internet use.
The Perth-based coach company said most of the vehicles would be built in the UK and be introduced in the coming 2015-16 financial year.
All of the new vehicles meet Euro 5 or Euro 6 emissions standards and the order ensures Stagecoach’s entire single deck fleet meets the UK Disability Discrimination Act requirements.
Stagecoach added the Group ‘remains on track to meet the Act's deadlines for other vehicle types over the coming years’.
Stagecoach group chief executive Martin Griffiths said: ‘We believe strongly in reinvesting our profits to continue that growth and our sector-leading levels of customer satisfaction.
‘Buses are central to our communities, giving people a greener way to access work, health, education and leisure. They are also critical to our economy. I'm delighted that most of our new buses will be built right here in the UK, helping support British manufacturing and hundreds of jobs in the supply chain.’
Stagecoach's regional networks in England, Scotland and Wales will benefit from over £75m-worth of the new buses and coaches, with a £2.7m order for new buses set for London and £6.9m of new coaches for the company's expanding megabus.com low-cost service in the UK and mainland Europe.
