Durham County Council has added seven Orion Plus low floor buses to its varied fleet.

The Orion Plus is carefully engineered to run on narrow streets and rural routes without compromising on passenger numbers and delivers reduced running costs.

Chris Prince, Durham County Council Strategic Fleet Team Manager, said:

“We awarded the business to Mellor following a competitive tender process. The vehicles meet all our size, layout and specification requirements.
“We have heard great things about the reliability, adaptability and fuel efficiency of the Orion Plus, so had no hesitation in placing our first order with Mellor.”

The new buses will mostly be utilised as accessible welfare vehicles. The adaptable interior of the Orion Plus is an important benefit when carrying passengers as it ensures accessible transport can be offered to all. The council has ordered the buses with a 16-seat configuration to allow for wheelchair access, but they can seat up to 22 passengers.

Jane Dransfield, Area Sales Manager for Mellor, said: “We are pleased that Durham County Council has selected us for this order. This is the first time they have taken buses from Mellor following our successful tender bid. We trust our vehicles will fit the needs of the council and their passengers and look forward to working with them again in the future.”