Sir Brian Souter has this month completed the acquisition of New Zealand based coach company, Naked Bus. The acquisition will see further expansion of Souter’s transport operations in New Zealand.
Naked Bus is a popular inter-city coach company among students and tourists, currently linking Christchurch and Dunedin. The newly agreed acquisition will see Naked Bus merge with fellow inter-city coach company, ManaBus.com - owned by Souter - which operates between Auckland and Wellington.
Speaking of his exciting plans and prospects following the acquisition Souter said:
"The future is bright for the combined operation, with eleven new buses due to arrive before the end of the year,"
This includes five bespoke double-deckers being built by Tauranga based Kiwi Bus Builders as well as six specialty coaches to serve shorter routes.
It gives us the opportunity to extend our services across New Zealand and bring our value for money fares to many more people."
Together, both entities will transport over 13 million customers a year, creating new employment for 670 who will ensure the companies operations and dedication to quality are maintained.
In the past seven years, Souter said his company had invested $100 million in its New Zealand bus and ferry services. He hopes that this new acquisition will not only provide a better more efficient service for the local population, but also help boost the economy through an increase in local tourism.
"We hope to continue to grow the market and boost tourism in the towns and cities we serve."
