IT'S all aboard the futuristic "bendy buses" for Bury commuters.

The sophisticated vehicles are now operating on the Manchester-Bury route.

Operated by First Manchester, the vehicles represent part of a £7 million investment programme made by FirstGroup in 40 of these "transports of the future".

And this week Bury North MP David Chaytor visited one of the new buses at Bury Interchange.

The new buses are part of the company's response to a Government transport document which was launched in March.

Three target areas were outlined for action: to give people more choice in transport, to deliver a better public transport alternative and to tackle congestion and pollution.

And the new "bendy buses" contribute to these aims, says First Manchester

Equipped to the highest standards, the new buses can carry up to 140 passengers.

And in terms of bus occupancy compared to car occupancy, the new buses in effect allow greater free road space.

The vehicles are equipped with Euro 11 engines running on reduced emission low sulphur diesel and are fitted with high performance catalytic converters.

Another feature of the new buses is a hydraulic floor-lowering system which enables the vehicle to "kneel" at the bus stop for easy boarding for the elderly, disabled and passengers with push chairs or prams.

Inside, the bright, spacious interior features a slip-resistant, single-level floor running throughout the 18m two-section cabin.

The cabin also embraces high comfort seating, double glazing, climate control and "on board" passenger information systems.

Customer safety has been a special focus for the vehicle design team and standard equipment consequently includes a dual camera CCTV system and a special fail-safe mechanism on the two wide access doors. The new buses will initially be employed on the important commuter route between Manchester and Bury.

Trevor Smallwood, executive chairman of FirstGroup, said: "With the introduction of these new buses, FirstGroup is delivering its promises to provide customers with the best possible travelling experience.

"They give us an innovative way to get to the heart of the problems of traffic congestion and pollution in our towns and cities, making the bus a dynamic force - the ultimate people mover for the 21st century."

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