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Mellor Unveils Next-Gen Strata Minibus

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Say hello to the all-new Strata – Mellor’s latest showstopper in the small bus world. It’s smarter, more accessible and packed with fresh features to make every journey smoother, greener and comfier. And yes, it’s still built right here in the UK. Mellor Bus Since its debut in 2016, the original Strata has earned its stripes as a reliable workhorse – now it’s back with a vengeance, ready to shake up the sector all over again. If you thought small buses were all the same, think again. Accessibility, meet ambition First up: big wins for accessibility. The reworked rear saloon now has just one step up from the low-floor section (down from two), reducing trip hazards and making things safer for everyone onboard. Passengers also get an extra 100mm of headroom – that’s a whole lot less crouching and a lot more comfort. Mellor Bus The low-floor area’s been stretched by 266mm, making space for four extra seats. In fact, there’s now room for up to twelve seats in the low-floor area alone – p...
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Diamond Bus and Go North West to Operate School Buses in Final Phase of Bee Network Roll Out

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The final round of Bee Network contracts has been awarded for school services in Stockport, Tameside, Trafford and parts of Manchester and Salford from 5 January 2025.
 
Transport for Greater Manchester

Greater Manchester is the first area to bring buses under local control following de-regulation in 1986 and currently around 50% of services are franchised under the Bee Network.

Diamond Bus (North West) Limited has been awarded 7 contracts and Go North West Limited 2 contracts, covering a total of 37 schools to operate the final phase of school bus services.

The final Bee Network school bus services will run from Monday 5 January 2025 – at which point all buses across Greater Manchester will be franchised and under local control, with other Bee Network bus services being run by Metroline, Stagecoach, First, Vision, Diamond and Go North West.   

There will be no changes to the schools served or the numbers of buses used under the new contracts. As with other Bee Network services, ensuring a reliable service is a key part of these contracts, and operators will be subject to financial penalties for poor performance

Stephen Rhodes, TfGM’s Director of Bus, said:
“Awarding the last round of franchised contracts for school services is a major milestone towards delivering the Bee Network.

“We are absolutely committed to delivering regular, reliable services to ensure they meet the needs of pupils who will be relying on them to get to and from school. We have made performance and reliability a key part of the contract award to deliver this positive change.

“We look forward to working with Diamond Bus (North West) Limited and Go North West Limited over the coming months as we prepare to deliver the completion of bus franchising on 5th Jan 2025.”

Bob Dunn, Executive Director Diamond Bus North West, said:
“We are pleased to have been awarded a further seven franchises within Greater Manchester, meaning by next year we will be operating 18 small or school bus franchises. We are currently working hard making preparations for January, and we look forward to meeting our new customers and colleagues early next year.”

Go North West managing director Nigel Featham, said:
“We are delighted to be awarded additional contracts, and look forward to working closely with TfGM to deliver high quality school bus transport.

“These contracts add to our existing large franchise work which we operate at depots in Bolton and Wigan. We have an exceptional team at Go North West and are proud of the quality of services we provide for passengers.”

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Say hello to the all-new Strata – Mellor’s latest showstopper in the small bus world. It’s smarter, more accessible and packed with fresh features to make every journey smoother, greener and comfier. And yes, it’s still built right here in the UK. Mellor Bus Since its debut in 2016, the original Strata has earned its stripes as a reliable workhorse – now it’s back with a vengeance, ready to shake up the sector all over again. If you thought small buses were all the same, think again. Accessibility, meet ambition First up: big wins for accessibility. The reworked rear saloon now has just one step up from the low-floor section (down from two), reducing trip hazards and making things safer for everyone onboard. Passengers also get an extra 100mm of headroom – that’s a whole lot less crouching and a lot more comfort. Mellor Bus The low-floor area’s been stretched by 266mm, making space for four extra seats. In fact, there’s now room for up to twelve seats in the low-floor area alone – p...
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