Six new Stagecoach buses to serve East Devon route

Stagecoach South West announced today that customers travelling on routes 56 (Exeter – Exeter Airport – Woodbury – Exmouth) and 157 (Exmouth – Budleigh Salterton – Newton Poppleford – Sidmouth) are receiving an early Christmas present – six brand new buses!

The first three of the single deckers enter service today (Thursday 5th December 2013) and the remainder are due to arrive prior to Christmas.

The vehicles feature over 20% more capacity than those they replace, modern interiors and environmentally friendly engines that meet Euro 5 standards.

The routes provide a number of vital links, not only between Exeter and its airport, but also between Exmouth, Budleigh Salterton, Newton Poppleford and Sidmouth.

The purchase represents an investment of £650,000, bringing the total spent on new vehicles by Stagecoach South West to over £8 million1 during 2013.

The new buses arrive almost exactly a year after the operator invested £1.5 million in eight new double deck vehicles for the popular 52 route between Exeter and Sidmouth, launched by local celebrity Mary King and Stagecoach’s vintage horse drawn omnibus.

Michael Watson, Managing Director of Stagecoach South West, said: “This investment in new vehicles demonstrates our on-going commitment to our East Devon customers and to improve the overall quality of our fleet.

"I also hope residents of Newton Poppleford will also see them a nice bonus following the recent disruption caused by the unavoidable closure of the main road through the village.”