Blackpool Transport benefits from fleet renewal programme
As it approaches the fifth year of its fleet renewal partnership with Alexander Dennis,
Blackpool Transport Services says that it is seeing cost savings of £300,000 from its fleet renewal partnership with Alexander Dennis which has seen more than 100 new single- and double-deck buses delivered.
In 2016 Blackpool Transport adopted a strategy ensuring that the average age of the council-owned operator’s fleet would be less than three years. Working in partnership with ADL, the fleet renewal will be completed in 2020 with the arrival of the latest 19 buses. This will take to 107 the total number of Enviro200 single-decks and Enviro400 double decks supplied over five years. With the first replacement cycle complete, discussions have begun about a continuation of the programme in order to maintain the high standards now achieved.
According to the company’s forecast for 2019/20, the current fleet costs £300,000pa less to operate that the 2015/16 fleet, thanks to a variety of operational cost savings.
Making use of ADL’s SmartPack efficient diesel technology, fuel efficiency has improved 17 per cent, and spare vehicle provision was reduced thanks to the better reliability of the new fleet, which benefits from close aftermarket support by Alexander Dennis that has also allowed the operator to remove £70,000 of parts stock from its balance sheet.
In addition to the immediate financial benefits, the upgraded fleet has helped to stop a decade of customer ridership decline.