Second year of registration growth
Bus and coach registrations showed a second year of growth, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturer’s (SMMT’s) figures for the fourth quarter of 2016. Demand in the market rose 8%, with a total of 8,779 new buses and coaches registered last year, 2,008 in the final quarter representing a 4.6% uplift on Q4 2015. Double deckers continued to drive growth in 2016, with full year demand rising by 27.9% to 1,927 units. Minibuses, which account for over half of the market, also made strong gains, with registrations increasing 9.7% to 4,418. This counteracted a 6.2% decline in single deckers.
SMMT Chief Executive, Mike Hawes, said, ‘2016 proved to be another strong year for the British bus and coach market, with many operators investing in their fleets over the past 12 months. Getting the latest technology and low emission vehicles on to British roads is essential to help improve air quality in our cities, and 2016’s strong record of fleet renewal will aide that process.’
Registrations for the full year 2016 by marque (with 2015’s in brackets) were: Alexander Dennis Ltd 1,492 (1,251), Ford 2,573 (2,457), Volvo 722 (599), Peugeot 624 (517), Mercedes-Benz 1,106 (1,057), Wrightbus 503 (799), Iveco 234 (77), Optare 181 (283) and other 1,129 (977).