Tameside Council in Greater Manchester has undertaken a major investment with Mellor following the delivery of nine new Orion buses.

This is a departure from the traditional vehicles with tail lifts that were previously specified by the council and a move to the more accessible, low floor Orion to provide important social and corporate transport within the borough.
The vehicles will be allocated to several functions including transport for SEN school runs, adult social care day centres and transfers to respite centres.

Mark Ellison, Group Engineering Manager for Tameside Council, said:

“Our new buses will be providing transport to elderly and disabled people, so the requirement for a smooth, comfortable ride was of paramount importance for their needs.
“The feedback we have been getting from our drivers and passengers has been very favourable.”

The vehicles feature Cant rail tracking, rear door wheelchair access with low floors, dash mounted reverse camera and Eberspacher climate control. The bus is fitted with 12 Rescroft lite seats, and four Unwin Easisit seats to facilitate ease of transport for passengers with a variety of needs and abilities.
Area Sales Manager (Central England and North Wales) for Mellor, Jane Dransfield, added:

“The Orion has been designed to be robust and will meet the demands of Tameside’s Community Transport Service.
“We are a popular solution for council contracts where the need for versatile and flexible seating arrangement options is vital. Our vehicles can be modified to meet the customers’ needs which is a huge benefit and allows us to offer the best solution for any situation.
“The Mellor Orion also offers excellent fuel economy, which in turn assists in its affordability and makes the routes more sustainable for budget conscious customers like local authorities.”