£8 million Celtic order boost for Leyland Bus
Page 24
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
• Leyland Bus has celebrated its recent management buyout with the capture of a major order from Ulsterbus and Citybus, for 195 Tiger chassis and the company's first-ever leasing and contract maintenance package, arranged with Merthyr Tydfil Transport — together worth more than £8 million.
The Ulsterbus and Citybus order is for 90 vehicles to be delivered in 1987/88, and a further 105 to be delivered the following year. All the vehicles will be specially developed bus derivatives of the Leyland Bus Tiger chassis, each with a lowered front end to provide improved access.
Al] the vehicles will be built at Leyland Bus' Farington plant in Leyland. The bodywork will be built by Walter Alexander of Belfast.
Two engine options have been specified on the vehicles; the Leyland ILI1 and the Gardner 6HLXCT. They will be fitted with Leyland Bus' pneumocyclic gearbox and most feature air suspension, though a number will be fitted with Taperlite springs.
The order for 16 vehicles from Merthyr Tydfil Transport could prove equally significant for Leyland Bus in the longterm, for it involves a complete leasing and contract maintenance package over five years.
The package, organised by Leyland Bus in conjunction with dealer Kirkby Central, covers 13 Lynx single deck buses, two Tiger coaches and one Royal Tiger Doyen integral coach. Bodywork for the Tiger coaches will be built by Plaxtons. Leyland Bus will build the bodies for the other vehicles.
Under the terms of the package, Merthyr Tydfil Transport will make a single monthly payment for each vehicle to cover both the lease and the maintenance. Merthyr's engineers will maintain the vehicles, supported by Leyland Bus' training and procedures, while parts supply, vehicle off-road servicing and technical support will he provided by the Leyland Bus service centre at Bristol.