Never has a bus brand been so well recognised or received as the 36, and now, the iconic Yorkshire public transport brand is about to undertake an overhaul that local bus company Transdev believe will see it become ‘the finest bus route in the country’.
The company is investing £3.3m in 14 new buses, which have been designed specifically for the thousands of people who travel between Ripon, Harrogate and Leeds on the 36. These bespoke vehicles have been crafted to give customers the ultimate journey experience, boasting quilted leather seats, free superfast wifi, USB power points at every seat, Library 36, at seat tables and a glazed panoramic roof for ‘star gazing’.
Transdev is already achieving over 95% customer satisfaction on the 36 and now the service is going to be ‘redefined’ as the company strives to raise the bar even higher.
Alex Hornby, Chief Executive at Transdev, said: “The 36 is a very special brand and one we’re extremely proud of. It really was a pioneer in bus travel back in 2003 when it launched the UK’s first leather seated twin-deck buses. It set the ultimate standard in local bus travel and we’re so excited to be trailblazing once more with these amazing top of the range vehicles.
We examined every detail of the journey experience, and we know our customers love to have their own space. So we’ve done just that, offering more leg room, sumptuous seats, work-stations and the technology to be connected on the move. We’ve also teamed up with Harrogate International Festivals to introduce a unique Library 36 on each bus. Our customers told us they liked to swap books on board, so we thought it was a great opportunity to create a mobile library with a difference!
In addition to the buses themselves, we’ve made improvements to the overall service, with new faster journeys to and from Leeds at rush hour, new night buses until 3.15am on Friday and Saturday nights, and contactless ticketing which will be live next month; complementing our popular mobile ticket app.”
“All of us at Transdev, including our new dedicated 36 driver team, are hugely excited and proud of the 36, and we can’t wait to unleash the revitalised service on our customers. The 36, will truly be ‘riding redefined’.”
Andrew Jones MP for Harrogate & Knaresborough said: “I am so pleased to see Transdev make such a remarkable investment in local public transport. Buses can provide the fuel for our local economy and this spectacular and unique 36 fleet is exactly the kind of thing that will encourage greater bus usage from current users and new passengers alike.”
The new buses went into service on the 24 January 2016, they run up to every 15 minutes between Ripon, Harrogate and Leeds, 7 days a week.
