Westbus of Hayes has debuted its updated livery and brand on members of its coach fleet with the delivery of four Mercedes-Benz Tourismo M/3 models, supplied by EvoBus (UK).
The PSVAR compliant models come with a bespoke specification and they represent an investment of ÂŁ1.3m by the operator. The necessary wheelchair user lift was fitted at the factory and the new 53-seat Tourismos also each have a centre toilet.
Delivery of the vehicles comes as Westbus sees a strong increase in business. That has been driven by the return of incoming tourism and growth in bookings from private hire customers and other sectors, says General Manager Tim Miles.
Mr Miles describes the four coaches as Westbus’ new flagship vehicles. They have been purchased following good performance of existing Tourismo models in the operator’s fleet. “Returning to the Mercedes-Benz brand was a natural choice,” he adds.
Each of the new coaches comes with OMNIplus On digital services to deliver monitoring in real time, including of vehicle condition. That platform aims to minimise both downtime and running costs, says EvoBus (UK).
Adds Area Sales Manager Lee Hake: “We recognise that the industry is still coming out of a very difficult period.
“These green shoots give confidence, but we nevertheless appreciate that the decision to make this investment would have been a difficult one – for Westbus and any operator right now.”
Westbus’s overhauled brand was first revealed in 2020 on a pair of new double-decker buses.
