The company, which was founded by the late Peter Hogg in 1996, operates several local bus services on behalf of Scottish Borders Council, as well as a cross-border route into England for Northumberland County Council. The services are vital lifelines as they connect villages with the towns of the region as well as the city of Newcastle upon Tyne.

The new 9.7m Enviro200 has been christened ‘Pinocchio’, continuing a tradition of naming vehicles after Disney characters. With 36 comfortable, belted ADL SmartSeats with USB charging points, it lives up to its promise of a comfortable journey for its passengers. Other specification options selected include a digital tachograph and alloy wheels.

Director Annie Hogg, who picked the new bus up from ADL’s Scarborough factory, said: “ADL has been fantastic to work with after we decided to buy our first ever new bus, working with us to define the right specification for our services and giving us clear visibility of when the bus would be delivered.”

ADL Sales Account Manager Charlie Miller handed over the vehicle and commented: “This is Peter Hoggs’s first new vehicle and I’m delighted that Annie has chosen ADL. It’s a testament to our product range and the versatility of the Enviro200, which offers great fuel economy and the ability to tailor it to each operator’s needs.”