L-r: Stuart Hughes, Devon County Council Cabinet Member for Highway Management, Robert Williams, Stagecoach SW Commercial Director, Bob Dennison, Stagecoach SW Managing Director, John Richardson-Dawes, Devon County Council Principal Transport Co-ordinating Officer, Mike Bishop, Stagecoach SW Engineering Director and Pete Edwards, Leader of Exeter City Council.

Stagecoach launches new Park & Ride fleet

Stagecoach South West today launched a new fleet of buses for its busiest Exeter Park & Ride route.

Staff were ready and waiting to greet commuters with a fresh chocolate chip cookie on what is, for many, the first day back to work after the Christmas break.

Commuters could then relax and travel in style on the four brand new buses, an £800,000 investment in the service. All feature free Wi-Fi, allowing customers to connect, share and play on the move. The Red Park and Ride route runs from Honiton Road to the city centre up to every 12 minutes, 7 days a week.

Stagecoach will retain its existing fleet of single decker buses used on the Blue (Sowton) and Green (Matford) Park and Ride routes, however they will undergo a repaint into complimentary smart new liveries.

Bob Dennison, Managing Director of Stagecoach South West, said: “I am delighted to see our new buses out and about – and I hope the cookies help beat the January blues as people return to work!”

The cookies came courtesy of Fresha, a local catering company based on the Sowton Industrial Estate. Paul Banks, Founder and CEO of Fresha, added: “We thought it was a great idea to welcome everyone back to work with a fresh cookie as they boarded the brand new Park and Ride buses.”

Councillor Stuart Hughes Devon County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways Management said: “The launch of these new buses is good news for Exeter and for the people who travel on the bus network. I hope these new vehicles will encourage more people to use public transport in and around the city.”