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Councillor Dawn Cousins and Andrew Wickham confirm the school contract renewal
Every school bus on the Isle of Wight is to be equipped with seat belts, on board CCTV and electronic destination displays.
Southern Vectis has won an 8 year contract with the Isle of Wight Council to supply home to school transport.
£6 million contract
The firm is investing £6 million as part of the deal which will see 20 new 70 seat double deckers and 23 new single deckers introduced.
The remaining fleet will be refurbished buses.
Community Groups To Use Buses
The new buses will also be available to community groups running volunteer buses when those are not required for the school lift.
Andrew Wickham, Managing Director Southern Vectis, said that the company is delighted to make the investment to support the 8 year contract: "We are delighted to have been awarded this contract. It is not only good news for the pupils and the schools we serve but for the job security of the 70 staff who keep the service on the road. The eight year term allows us to make a significant investment in our fleet of vehicles which is good news for all concerned."
Councillor Dawn Cousins, Isle of Wight Council cabinet member for children’s services and education, said: "We were very pleased to be able to appoint a local company to deliver the school lift whose bid offered the best value when we tendered the contract nationally. In so doing we have ensured that we are able to provide our young school bus users – and those who use the successful community bus scheme – with brand new high specification vehicles. The longer term contract also provides greater certainty both to Southern Vectis and the council enabling both organisations to manage their budgets far more effectively."
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