The government department in charge of the island’s bus service has defended its decision to spend money on new buses to replace serviceable vehicles it sold to Blackpool Transport.
Bus Vannin, which is run by the Department of Community, Culture and Leisure took delivery of the first two of six new double-decker buses recently at a cost of around £200,000 each, despite selling vehicles to Blackpool which the buyers expect to use for a further 10 years following minor refurbishment.
The department is also trying to find savings of £1.7m for the year 2014-15, according to DCCL Minister Graham Cregeen, speaking in Tynwald last week.
But a spokesman for Bus Vannin has insisted the strategy makes good economic sense because they received a very good second hand price for the buses sold and the new ones will be safer, more reliable and cheaper to run.
‘It is much more cost-effective to receive a good price for these buses and purchase fewer but better new ones. Bus Vannin has reduced its annual parts bill from £448,000 in 2009-10 to a projected £230,000 per year, a saving of £218,000 per year in addition to having more fuel efficient buses - up to 9mpg from 4.85mpg - which has saved a further £200,000 per year.’
In addition, the DCCL has claimed selling the old buses avoided costly future maintenance which would have to have been done at increased expense off-island, while the new vehicles have better accommodation for wheelchairs, prams and push-chairs.
The department said a large number of Blackpool buses needed to be replaced at the same time and they had needed to buy new vehicles which complied with the UK Disability Discrimination Act.
Mr Cregeen told Tynwald all but £170,000 of the available £2,775,000 budget was committed to orders for six double-deckers, six single deckers, two minibuses and two works vans. The replacement programme meant they could get rid of 30 buses which were ‘an operational risk in terms of reliability and build quality’.