Willowbrook's first coaches for Nottingham
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• It was a double-first day at Nottingham on Monday when the corporation transport department took delivery of its first coach and its first Bedford chassis. The department is hoping to drastically expand its private hire business — currently worth about £40,000 a year -by the introduction of two Bedford YRQ chassis with new Willowbrook Expressway bodywork.
The Willowbrooks are not only the first products from that company to enter service with the undertaking but are also among the few single-deckers in the fleet. From a total of nearly 400 vehicles there had previously only been nine single-deckers, all of them British Leylands. Until now vehicles with conventional chassis have had to be used on private hire work and this has not helped the expansion of this side of the business. Accordingly it was thought necessary to buy some better equipped vehicles.
The Bedford /Willowbrooks are 49seaters and are designed for express service operation. Because of the requirements of the bus grant regulations the vehicles will have to cover 50 per cent of their mileage on stage carriage work and the undertaking is to install fare collection apparatus.
Initially the vehicles are expected to work on two particular routes but neither of them are really express services. The corporation does not operate any routes suitable for this type of operation but hopes that the nev coaches will pay for themselves 13! increasing lucrative private hire work.
The coaches are equipped with forced-ai ventilation and have a specially designet livery incorporating a broad greel waistband on a white background. Thi ceiling and parcels racks are coverec with a new substance, ICI Vynair which as well as giving a textured look i; said to be exceptionally easy to clean Passengers are also provided witl fluorescent lighting and foot rests. Tim Expressway — said to be the only all metal coach body in volume productior in the UK — has previously been deliveret to private operators and Nottingham is tilt first municipal undertaking to order any About 60 coaches with the body have beer delivered and a further 100 are on order Willowbrook vehicles will figure pro. minently in the Nottingham fleet when 5( double-deck buses — 25 Leylanc Atlanteans and 25 Daimler Fleetliner — art delivered later this year.
• A new £140,000 depot for Runcort Transport Services Ltd is to be built on four-acre site next to the expressway rounc Runcorn New Town. The depot will comprise ar administrative block and a vehicle maintenanc4 building for the servicing of tankers. It will takt 12 months to complete. The previous depot ww acquired by Runcorn Development Corporatior to make way for the new expressway.