Page 17 - Commercial Vehicle Engineer - December 2019

FLEET NEWS
AIR SERVICE UPGRADES WITH PLAXTON COACHES
HAMBLETON COUNCIL ADDS ELECTRIC VANS
H ambleton District Council has put two new Nissan
e-NV200 vans into service as it seeks to move towards a 100%
electric eet.
The e-NV200s are used to carry
out a range of services including the enforcement of y tipping, waste management and street cleansing.
Stephen Watson, portfolio holder
for Environmental Health, Waste and Recycling at the North Yorkshire- based council, said: “Technology has improved signi cantly in recent years, enabling us to enter into an agreement that can provide us with electric vehicles with a vision of running a 100% electric eet in the future. If
we want to encourage residents to be more mindful of the effects their own vehicles have on our local environment, then it’s right that we look at our own eet and do something about it.
“We would hope that other organisations and individuals
would think about how they too can contribute to the transition from fossil fuels to alternative forms of transport. We should all recognise the importance of reducing our dependence on fossil fuels and minimising climate change. These vehicles give us the opportunity to show how we can tackle emissions from the mileage our staff need to do to provide services across the district and I look forward to watching how this progresses.”
West Coast Motors has taken delivery of ve Plaxton Panorama double deck
coaches from bus manufacturer Alexander Dennis Ltd, which it will run for Scottish Citylink on the AIR service from Glasgow to Edinburgh Airport.
The coaches have been adapted to the needs of airport travellers, with, in addition to the luggage hold, a dedicated suitcase rack on the lower deck and overhead luggage racks above all seats.
Each coach has 75 seats and amenities tted to the seat backs include fold-down tables, reading lights, mobile device holders and USB chargers. On the lower deck, vis- à-vis seating is provided around two tables with integrated wireless device charging.
The new Plaxton Panorama coaches upgrade the AIR service, which connects Glasgow’s Buchanan Bus Station
with Edinburgh Airport up to every
30 minutes, 24 hours a day. Provided
in partnership with the airport and operated by West Coast Motors on behalf
of Citylink, it is the only direct service between Scotland’s largest city and the country’s busiest airport.
Peter Knight, operations director for Scottish Citylink, said: “AIR continues to grow in popularity and this investment ensures that we are continuing to deliver further improvements for the many customers who travel on the route. These vehicles deliver extra capacity and game- changing amenities that we believe will lead to an even more enjoyable travel experience for our customers.”
Charlie Miller, regional sales manager at Alexander Dennis, added: “Our Plaxton coach engineering team has pulled out
all the stops to combine comfort and capacity with easy access and luggage storage on these Plaxton Panorama coaches, allowing them to provide
an upgrade over the single deckers
they replace. With our best-in-class aftermarket support to back them up, West Coast Motors will enjoy operating these stunning coaches.”
COMMERCIAL VEHICLE ENGINEER > DECEMBER 2019 17