A £2.5 MILLION fleet of new buses will serve Bolton passengers from today.

Transport company Arriva has introduced 13 new vehicles to the town’s roads, following seven others which were introduced earlier this year.

They will be used for the 575 and 362 routes between the town, Wigan and Chorley.

Phil Stone, managing director for Arriva North-west and Wales, said: “We hope to totally up the standard of these services and improve performance.

“The buses on these routes needed upgrading so that’s what we have done.

“We’ve got to try and attract people out of cars and onto buses, this is about promoting public transport.”

Henry Hughes, general manager for Arriva Bolton, said: “Passengers will appreciate the new buses as they are now up to standard.

“They are going down well with the drivers, too.”

The 20 new buses, which cost £139,000 each, replace a third of Arriva’s 60-strong fleet in Bolton. They are state-of-the-art vehicles, featuring low floors making them accessible to all, and CCTV cameras.

The Mayor and Mayoress of Bolton, Cllr Anthony and Maureen Connell, launched the new additions to the fleet at the Reebok Stadium on Friday. Cllr Connell said: “They will make a big difference.

“The easier access and comfort will be of great benefit to all passengers, particularly those with a disability.

“It’s important that we promote the use of public transport.”

Next year Arriva, which employs around 150 people in Bolton, is investing a further £22million in its services in the North-west.