MOREBUS is to introduce an extra 20 double decker buses to its fleet for Bournemouth and Poole this month. 

The British-built Alexander Dennis E400 MMC buses will serve the M2 route from Bournemouth to Poole and follows the arrival of 28 similar new buses worth £7.7m last autumn. 

This new fleet is an investment worth £6m, the company said. 

Morebus managing director Andrew Wickham said once all the new vehicles arrive, the M1 and M2 routes will see only double deckers serve it. 

He said: “The significant investment we’ve made over recent years is all about making bus travel more attractive, in a bid to help reduce congestion across the region.  

“We already know that the BCP area is bucking the national trend - with the number of people taking the bus steadily increasing. 

“Our new buses will certainly play a key role in encouraging more people to leave their cars at home. The seating on-board is more comfortable than ever, and each vehicle sports the latest Euro 6 low emissions engine.  

“Just one fully-loaded double decker has the potential to take up to 75 cars off our roads, so we believe we have made the right decision, adding these impressive new buses to our fleet.” 

The Alexander Dennis E400 MMC vehicles also sport on-board technology - offering USB charging points for smartphones and hand-held devices, and contactless ‘tap on tap off’ ticketing facilities.