New state-of-the-art “talking buses” hit the streets of Hull and East Yorkshire

HULL-BASED bus company East Yorkshire are launching eleven new “talking buses” onto the city’s roads, featuring all the latest mod-cons.

The buses, which cost a quarter of a million pounds each, all have a luxury interior to make travelling by bus a pleasure – an interior which will become standard on all new buses bought by the company. As well as free Wi-Fi, the buses also have USB chargers, extra comfortable seats, wood-effect flooring and phone holders. Plus, they’re really accessible, with more dedicated space for wheelchairs and buggies to use.

As “talking buses”, they have audio-visual announcements which let you know which stop is coming up next. This stops you missing your stop if you’re not familiar with the route, and also makes travel a lot easier for people who are visually impaired.

The buses have the latest ‘Euro VI’ environmental rating, meaning they produce lower exhaust emissions than many cars, helping make the region’s air quality better. They were also made locally, in a factory just outside Scarborough.

The buses will be running mostly on circular Services 104/154, which run from Hull City Centre via The Avenues, University and Cottingham to Castle Hill Hospital, and then back via Willerby and Anlaby Road via Hull Royal Infirmary to Hull. This means workers at some of the region’s biggest employers, such as the hospitals and the University of Hull, will benefit from using the new buses.

East Yorkshire’s Area Director Ben Gilligan says the buses are sure to be a big hit with passengers in the area:

“We’re really excited to be putting these fantastic new buses into Hull,” he said. “Everyone who’s seen them so far has said how comfortable they are, and we know passengers are going to love the new features such as USB chargers.”

“The congested roads in Hull mean that buses are a great way to travel as they can zip past the queues in the bus lanes. Plus, instead of spending your time just sitting behind the wheel in a car, bus passengers can take advantage of the free Wi-Fi and chargers to browse the internet, update their social media or catch up on some work.”

The new buses will be launched to local business leaders at a meeting of the Hull and Humber Chamber of Commerce, and members of the public can look around the new vehicles at a special event in Queen Victoria Square in Hull City Centre on Saturday 9 November, 10am-3.30pm, where there will also be free facepainting for children, and over lunchtime there’s the chance to meet the East Yorkshire robot B.O.B.