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operator

Staffordshire

The Vexihel body is uncompromisingly
box like to maximise the flat floor area

I risbus has formally handed over 15 Irisbus as a potentially attractive basis for this concept from European suppliers for 15 vehicles and the
ScolaBuses delivered to Staffordshire County and Staffordshire Fleet Care's General manager ScolaBus was chosen on a significantly favourable
Council earlier this year. Receiving the vehicles Alan Button and Technical Officer Barry Pearson price basis compared with other offers matching the
from Geoff Reyner and Ian Soden of Irisbus at the worked closely with Coach Europe on the specification. With the demise of Coach Europe in
windswept County Showground, Councillor Brookes, detailed specification. summer 2003, Irisbus took on the project directly,
Staffordshire Cabinet Member for Education retaining Ian Soden as the driving force behind it.
commented 'the main reason for operating our own The prices bid to operate the first 'Quality
vehicles is the steep rise in tender prices. Our cal- Contract' tenders were, in the Council's opinion, The ScolaBus
culations showed we could do it cheaper. We have unexpectedly high, such that an expansion of
done that and a lot more besides, including better the County's own fleet would provide the most The ScolaBus 24 is a high floor body-on-chassis
safety features on these cost effective option. Although the Bluebirds product produced by Vehixel
vehicles and regular drivers
to improve the relationship Trouillet Constructeurs
with pupils.' at Attignat near Bourg en
Bresse, France. The company
Background was founded in 1980,
producing cash-in-transit
Staffordshire County vehicles and minibuses
alongside the school buses,
Council has been operating some 400 of which are now
in service in France. The
its own school buses, company has established a
positive reputation for co-
principally for primary operation in the development
of its products. The 15
school children, since 1998 vehicles for Staffordshire
are considered the first full
when it placed American production batch following
improvements progres-
built Bluebird school buses sively added to the vehicles
previously delivered to the UK.
in service. The ScolaBuses Improvements developed in
the UK are also being incor-
are the third tranche, porated into vehicles for the
French market.
doubling the size of fleet.
Approximately 40
Staffordshire's involvement
ScolaBuses are now in UK service including eight
with the ScolaBus goes 67 seat examples in Manchester and three in
Durham. It is also available equipped primarily
back to the first example for the carriage of wheelchair bound passengers,

brought into the UK by

Coach Europe approximately

three years ago. Although

by then experienced in

operating their own fleet, The fleet lined up following the handover.
Staffordshire were looking

to involve local operators in had proved reliable in operation, expansion

'Quality Contracts' of ten years duration with tenders of this fleet was ruled out, difficulties with

based on providing new vehicles with a high level procurement of spares from the USA being cited

of safety features. The ScolaBus was and is seen as a particular problem. Tenders were invited

Reprinted from Bus & Coach Buyer Issue 763