i4 for Swanbrook Coaches

Cheltenham based Swanbrook Coaches has taken an Irizar i4 for use on its timetabled interurban service. The DAF-engined coach is to DDA specifications and has powered front and centre doors, an air conditioning system, 57 seats with iLeather headrests, a reversing camera and a Bosch audio system. Its wheelchair lift built into the nearside centre is a ‘first’ for Irizar UK. Although it has supplied an i6 tourer with a wheelchair lift, this is the first on an i4 integral. Additionally, the Swanbrook vehicle is believed to be the first i4 the Worksop based company has supplied for a scheduled service.

Swanbrook Coaches MD, Keith Thomas, said, ‘In fact, it ticked all the boxes including value for money. We’ve now had the i4 for three weeks and it’s been working its socks off. The service between Cheltenham and Oxford runs three times daily and four times on Saturdays, with a 90-minute journey time, so it’s quite intense. Feedback from our drivers and passengers is that they like it. We’ve run DAF before and you know what you’re getting. It’s a bit too early to have a proper feel for fuel economy but indications are good so far. And Irizar UK has dealt very well with the inquiry, order and delivery.’