English Heritage now has a new fleet of cleaner, greener buses to transport visitors from Stonehenge’s visitor centre to the 5,000-year-old stone circle.
The launch is a sign of the success of the ongoing partnership between English Heritage and local Salisbury business, Tourist Coaches, and the fleet represents the latest in clean diesel technology.
Jennifer Davies, English Heritage Head of Operations at Stonehenge says: “We are really excited to be taking delivery of our new greener buses. They’re better for the environment and more fuel efficient than the old buses.
“The great news for us and our visitors is that each vehicle can carry more people than our old buses, which means less time to wait on busy days before the journey to the stones begins.”
Not only are the six new vehicles better for air quality but they are also quieter than the old buses, helping to minimise their impact on the historic landscape and provide a more comfortable ride for visitors.
The buses also have a larger capacity than the previous fleet, allowing coach groups to travel together directly to the stone circle from the groups-only pick up point.
Tourist Coaches has been operating the Stonehenge shuttle service for English Heritage since just after the new visitor centre opened four years ago.
Says Andrew Wickham, Managing Director of Tourist Coaches: “The new fleet is the result of considerable investment from us, but we have an excellent partnership with English Heritage – and are confident the buses will be very well-received by all who use them.”
