BUS passengers in Penketh will get a roomy ride thanks to a £750,000 investment on new buses.

Warrington Borough Transport has welcomed the arrival of six new Optare Solo minibuses for use on services visiting the Penketh area.

The buses are environmentally friendly, have full cctv systems for customer safety and have been designed with high backed seats and updated interiors for customers comfort.

The switch comes from customer feedback after a demonstration bus like the ones now in service was used on the route last year.

The new buses mark the retirement of the last high floor single-deck buses in the fleet which have served the Penketh routes for the last 13 years.

The buses were officially handed over at the Warrington Town Hall at the beginning of the month.

David Squire, managing director, said: “Following the testing of a demonstrator bus last year, we received a lot of feedback from both customers and drivers. Using this information, we were able to work with Optare to design a bespoke Warrington bus that gives a bright and roomy interior, and we hope that our customers on the Penketh routes will benefit from these new buses for many years to come.”

The new buses entered service last week and will be a regular feature on routes 29, 30, 31 and 32.