29 June 2007

Dear Colleagues,

New road safety laws were introduced this week, and they apply to the vast majority of us across the company: bus and coach drivers, bus users or car users.

The health and safety of our passengers and staff is of paramount importance at all times in our operations, it is therefore necessary for us to make ourselves aware of this new legislation.

There are 3 laws in particular I wish to highlight:

1. Lifting a mobile phone while driving a bus, coach or goods vehicle
   3 penalty points, maximum fine of £2500



2. Lifting a mobile phone while driving
   3 penalty points, maximum fine of £1000



3. Exceeding a temporary speed limit
   3-6 penalty points, maximum fine of £1000

Further information on all 9 new laws is available from www.roadsafetyni.gov.uk

Another major event occurred earlier this week, we signed a contract for 285 new high specification buses with Volvo Bus in conjunction with Wrightbus. The order of 160 single deck school buses and 125 double deck buses will both expand our fleet and reduce our average bus fleet age, providing us with one of the youngest fleets in the UK.

The new vehicles will be fully accessible for wheelchair users, people with restricted mobility and people with small children. A proportion of the order will be fitted with seatbelts and will assist us to eliminate standing on school buses by school children. A number of the new vehicles will also provide further benefits for some of our socially necessary and rural services.

We welcome this investment by Government which will play a key role in further growing our business in line with the Regional Transportation Strategy targets.

Philip O'Neill

Acting Chief Executive

160 single deck school buses and 125 double deck buses will both expand our fleet and reduce our average bus fleet age.