Souter puts €20m into Polish arm for coaches

TRANSPORT tycoon Sir Brian Souter’s investment vehicle is pumping €20 million (£17m) into its Polish business to buy 50 coaches for its inter-city fleet.

The deal will expand PolskiBus’ fleet to 68 vehicles, all of which are fitted with “free wi-fi access, luxury leather seats and air-conditioning”.

Thirty single-decker buses and 20 double-deckers have been ordered from Belgian bus builder Van Hool, with the vehicles entering service between December and April.

When asked why Alexander Dennis – the Falkirk-based vehicle maker in which Souter owns a stake – had not been chosen for the contract, a spokesman for Polskibus said: “The existing fleet is Van Hool and it does not make sense, for maintenance and operational reasons, to have a mixed fleet.

“Van Hool was originally selected following a competitive tender. Their vehicles have proved to be well suited for express coach operations.”

Polskibus was launched just four months ago and has already carried more than 175,000 passengers on inter-city services across Poland and central and eastern Europe.

Fares start at “one zloty plus a one zloty booking fee”, mimicking the prices used in the UK by Megabus, the inter-city coach service operated by Perth-based Stagecoach Group, the FTSE 250 index transport firm of which Souter is the chief executive.

Roger Bowker, head of Souter Holdings Poland, said: “This order is the first phase of a major new investment programme as we look to develop the PolskiBus business.”

Souter’s investment vehicle has motored ahead with expansion plans in recent year, with its stakes across 120 investments valued at more than £400m.

As well as bus builder Alexander Dennis, Souter has ploughed cash into Airdrie Savings Bank, bio-fuel producer Argent Energy and New Zealand transport firms Howick & Eastern Buses and Mana Coach Services.