RE “Where are the new buses” in The Bolton News (September 3), from Mr Amos. I’d like to provide the following update.

We introduced 12 new single deck buses in summer 2013 on route 501 that serves customers between Chorley Old Road and Farnworth via Bolton Hospital.

These buses represent an investment of over £2 million in Bolton and have given customers improved comfort, with extra legroom, leather seats and wi-fi, as well as significantly lower emissions with the latest EURO V engines. These improvements have led to customer growth on these buses of over four per cent, which is welcome news as customers on First buses are growing across Manchester.

I can assure Mr Amos that all the buses that were on the 501 service have remained in Bolton’s fleet and were given a fresh re-paint.

In fact I’m pleased to say the average fleet age in Bolton is one of the youngest in the country (outside London) at only five years old, which compares very well with the national average of eight years.

This is great news for our customers, including those with mobility difficulties as all our buses are now accessible with a “low-floor” entrance/exit.

With regard to the comment about Withins and Ainsworth, service 511 (previously 510) now runs hourly to meet the demand levels in the area, but was re-directed through Darcy Lever to improve services in the area. Our aim is to continue to improve our services and attract new customers. One way we are doing this is by investing in technology to such as real time information — a tool which will provide better information for customers and help us plan our routes and timetables better.

We believe these initiatives, as well as our great value fares, will help attract more people on to First buses and support even more investment in the future. Matt Rawlinson Business Manager First in Bolton