The latest orders, following the announcement last month that Stagecoach was buying 340 vehicles, brings the total investment in new buses in the UK for 2005-06 to around £55 million.

The new state-of-the-art low-floor vehicles will be introduced in Stagecoach’s provincial bus operations, which last year achieved passenger growth of 1.4%, and as part of new contracts run on behalf of Transport for London.

Stagecoach will take delivery of the fleet of new vehicles between August 2005 and March 2006.

Orders have been placed with vehicle manufacturers Alexander Dennis, MAN, Optare, Wrightbus and Volvo for 35 single-deckers, 79 double-deckers and 55 midi-buses.

Details of the orders are:

49 Alexander Dennis Trident ALX400 double-deckers for London

30 Alexander Dennis Trident ALX400 double-deckers for provincial operations

28 MAN 18.220 single deck chassis/ Alexander Dennis ALX300 bodies

5 Alexander Dennis Enviro 300 12 metre single deckers

30 Alexander Dennis Dart Pointer midibuses

25 Optare Solo midibuses

2 Wrightbus Eclipse Commuter body/Volvo B7RLE chassis single deckers

Les Warneford, Managing Director of Stagecoach UK Bus, said: "This latest investment reflects our success in generating organic passenger growth in our UK provincial bus operations and in winning new contracts in London. Our key strengths of innovation, investment, targeted marketing and productive partnerships with local transport authorities are attracting thousands of new customers out of their cars and on to our buses every week."

All new vehicles are fitted with the latest environmentally friendly Euro 3 low emission engines and will run on low sulphur diesel. They are equipped with modern heating and ventilation, low floor access for parents with young children, people with disabilities and elderly passengers, and many feature a special ‘kneeling’ mechanism to assist boarding from the pavement.

The Wrightbus vehicles have a special roll-on access design for wheelchair users using a ramp in the main passenger entrance, rather than an expensive side-mounted lift used on other high-floor vehicles.