Boris confirms 195 more New Routemasters

Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, has confirmed an order with Wrightbus for another 195 of the iconic New Routemasters for the capital. The announcement was made during a trip to Northern Ireland, which included a visit to the Wrightbus chassis plant that was created as a direct result of orders for these buses. The deal was said to safeguard 300 manufacturing jobs, as well as supporting supply chain companies across the UK. The order was made at a reduced rate of £319,000 per bus, which is comparable to the cost of a standard hybrid bus. They are expected to be delivered by summer 2017.

The Mayor’s office said TfL has a productive relationship with businesses in Northern Ireland, spending £93m with suppliers based there in 2015. As well as Wrightbus, Boris also visited Boomer Industries Ltd, a supplier of materials for the New Routemaster, amongst other companies during his visit to the country.

Chairman and CEO of Wrights Group, Mark Nodder OBE, said, ‘We are delighted to receive this contract extension for a further 195 New Routemasters from TfL. This will secure employment of around 300 of our workers for a further 12 months, and will benefit our extensive supply chain both in Northern Ireland and throughout the rest of the UK. For us the New Routemaster has combined innovation and cutting edge technology in a way which showcases the best of British manufacturing excellence. We would like to thank Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, and TfL for this endorsement of our company’s capability, and also acknowledge the tremendous support and encouragement we have received from both our local MP Ian Paisley, and also Secretary of State The Rt Hon Theresa Villiers MP.’

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