Five Strata low floor buses have recently been delivered to Preston Bus, its first Mellor order following a successful demo trial.

John Asquith, Commercial Manager for Preston Bus, said: “We had the opportunity to trial the Strata and we were so impressed with the performance of the vehicle, that we decided to place an order.

“Fuel consumption and reliability were a determining factor for us when selecting a vehicle and these features were clearly demonstrated in our trial.”

As the Strata LF is a low emission bus, it not only offers environmental benefits but in addition it provides significant savings for operators. Following its award earlier this year of a Low Emission Bus (LEB) certificate, the vehicle qualifies for a rebate from the DfT as part of the Low Carbon Emission Bus incentive scheme.

With a total capacity of 22 passengers, the Strata is the smallest bus to date to have met the stringent requirements associated with LEB certification.

The buses will be used on a new rural service by Lancashire County Council. Built on a Mercedes Sprinter chassis, the Strata offers a range of seating options including space for one wheelchair with 18 seated and three standing.

The vehicle also offers ease of access with a sliding entrance door and low floor single entry step, a beneficial specification for passengers with pushchairs or limited mobility.

(Pictured L-R) Jane Dransfield with Les Jones and Matt Rawlinson of Preston Bus.

Mellor’s Area Sales Manager for Central England and North Wales, Jane Dransfield, said: “We are pleased that Preston Bus were impressed with the demo vehicle supplied and on the back of that chose to place the order. With its lightweight design these vehicles are the perfect fleet addition for the networks they will be servicing.”

With optimised dimensions, the bus is able to negotiate narrow streets and rural lanes with ease, making it an ideal choice for many sectors. The Strata LF also delivers class leading fuel economy of 22mpg on average.

Preston Bus, a subsidiary of Rotala, has a significant presence in the Preston area and a fleet of 123. The company runs in partnership with Lancashire County Council and services a number of networks including, schools, hospitals and colleges.