Alexander Dennis and Transport Made Simple jointly announced an order for 50 new Enviro200 single-deck buses. The order represents an investment of around £10 million by Transport Made Simple and is the largest single vehicle commitment in the group’s history.
The order follows a rigorous tender process run by Transport Made Simple, in which shortlisted manufacturers were assessed against whole-life cost, reliability, passenger comfort and driver working environment. As part of its evaluation, Transport Made Simple put an Alexander Dennis demonstrator into passenger service for two weeks, gathering feedback from drivers, passengers and engineering colleagues. The order is part of a wider programme of investment in the Central Connect network across the regions Norfolk, Suffolk
Essex. All 50 Enviro200's have a six-cylinder engine and SmartPack efficiency technology, be 11.8m in length, seating up to 43 passengers. The specification places particular emphasis on the driver's working environment, including cab air-conditioning, alongside specifically chosen features to enhance the passenger experience including USB charging sockets, high back seats and features such as seat-mounted coat hooks. The buses will be built in the United Kingdom.
Peter Nathanail, Chairman at Transport Made Simple, said: "These 50 buses represent a significant investment in the services our passengers rely on every day across the East of England. Our tender process was deliberately demanding, because the vehicles we choose now will be carrying our customers across a wide area and for many years to come." Transport Made Simple is an independently owned transport group headquartered in Diss, Norfolk. The group employs around 800 colleagues and operates a fleet of over 400 vehicles from depots across the UK. (Group photograph shows, left to right: David Graham - Engineering Director, Transport Made Simple, Chris Speed - Group Operations Director, Transport Made Simple, Simon Wood - Regional Sales Manager, Alexander Dennis, Steve Wickers - Managing Director, Transport Made Simple, Tom Singleton - Transformation Director, Transport Made Simple and Mark Reynolds - Head of Engineering, Transport Made Simple.