News in Brief
New home for Showbus
Showbus has a new home. Donington Park in Derbyshire has been named as the new venue for the event. The first edition of the show at the new location is set to take place on 25 September 2016.
Volvo takes hybrids to India
Volvo has become the first to introduce hybrid buses into India. The hybrids will be part of a city bus pilot in Navi Mumbai with Navi Mumbai Municipal Transport (NMMT) starting in the first half of 2016. The Indian government has recently launched the FAME India (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric vehicles in India) scheme, offering incentives on electric and hybrid vehicles. The hybrids will be manufactured in the company’s facility in Bangalore. Volvo has sold over 5,300 buses in India since 2001 and has about 1,500 city buses operating in 34 Indian cities.
President Volvo Buses, Håkan Agnevall, said, ‘Volvo has a leading position in hybrid technology and electromobility. Hybrid buses is an important solution for cities that want to reduce vehicle emissions. I am very proud that Volvo is the first bus manufacturer to introduce hybrid buses in India.’
NatEx wins Spanish contract
National Express Group’s Spanish business, ALSA, has been awarded the Spanish Government’s Imserso pensioner holiday scheme. The scheme is a Government programme that supports the Spanish tourist industry outside of the holiday season by providing subsidised trips for pensioners. It involves the operator transferring passengers to and from Spanish Airports, between the Balearic and Canary island airports and resorts and tourist tours on the islands. ALSA will also provide some catering services and expects to carry more than 270,000 passengers a year. The contract has been confirmed for an initial two years, with the option of a two year extension. Across the four years ALSA is expected to obtain over ¤80m (£56.24m) in revenue. Ticket sales have already opened and the first journeys will begin on 12 December. The contract is anticipated to be profitable from the start.
megabus roadshow
Shoppers, workers and visitors to Edinburgh city centre have been invited to the megabusGold road show. Shoppers and visitors were able to view a megabusGold.com sleeper coach and were given freebies. There was also a free prize draw, with winners receiving an iPad mini Gold or a pair of megabusGold tickets and £100 of high street shopping vouchers to spend on a New Year trip to London. Next destinations in the roadshow include Aberdeen on 5 December and Glasgow on 12 December.
MD for megabus.com UK and Europe, Edward Hodgson, said, ‘Our special road show just before Christmas is a great opportunity for us to get right to the heart of the people of Edinburgh. We can show passengers new and old the fantastic sleeper coach vehicles and give them an opportunity to lie on a bunk and find out more about the Gold experience to London. We transport hundreds of people between Edinburgh and London every month for a range of special occasions and events. We’re very much looking forward to encouraging more people to take a look at our services and try this, great value way to travel across the country.’