The first two of 12 new additions to the Bus Vannin fleet have arrived. The Mercedes Citaro single decker buses, fresh off the production line from the Mercedes-Benz factory in Mannheim, Germany, are now at Banks Circus. A further four will arrive this evening (Friday) on the ferry scheduled to dock around 5.45pm. The Mannheim factory has years of experience building buses, turning out over 4,000 a year, which is reflected in the quality of their build, offering reliability, reducing maintenance time and costs and improving the overall customer experience. Hon David Cretney MHK, Minister for Community, Culture and Leisure, commented: ‘These single decker buses have a total capacity of 70 passengers, compared with a capacity of up to 78 on the double decker buses they are replacing. So, the new Mercedes will be able to carry a similar number of passengers with the advantage of being able to operate much more economically due to their size.’ The finish on each bus is the classic Mercedes silver. This saves the cost of customised painting and also results in much cheaper spares and less time and expense required for panel repairs, ensuring more time on the road. Mr Cretney added: ‘Not only did Mercedes offer the best value for money per bus, but they offer the best whole life costs. The build quality you can expect from an experienced Mercedes factory is accompanied by further savings on servicing, spares and repairs, reducing costs while also offering passengers a very high level of comfort.’ A number of older buses in the Bus Vannin fleet will now be sold as they are beyond their economic operational life. Delivery of the remaining buses is expected by the end of June and, following driver familiarisation and training and pre-service preparations, the new additions will be scheduled into service during July. -Ends-