Ferdia sees rapids expansion after first year in the UK
Coach-sector technology provider Ferdia has reported triple-digit growth following its first full year in the UK market.
The Norway-based business says take-up among operators of its cloud-based coach management platform has been rapid after taking a stand at Euro Bus Expo in 2024.
After the appointment in 2025 of UK Country Manager Daniel Morton, Ferdia is expecting further expansion as part of its mission to modernise the coach sector.
Among the operators to have begun using its platform are Centurion Travel, Country Lion, Hearn's Coaches, Wattsway Travel, Southgate and Finchley Coaches, and Walters Coaches.
The platform is designed to help coach operators work more efficiently across pricing, planning and operations. It is aimed at helping coach hire customers manage bookings and "crowdfund" trips.
"We came into the UK with a clear goal: to help coach operators run more efficient, resilient businesses through smarter ways of working,” says Håkon Sæther, CEO of Ferdia.
“We work alongside operators as a partner — listening, educating and co-creating solutions that make a real difference.
"The growth we’ve seen in the UK during 2025 shows that operators are ready to lead, not just keep up.”
He says the business will continue investing in the UK, seeing great potential in the market.
“By combining technology, industry insight and a network-based approach, we believe operators can not only protect margins, but also create new opportunities for growth," he says. "The progress we’ve made in 2025 is just the beginning.”
Bright Yutong GT12 is the first new coach for Ellie Rose Travel
Ellie Rose Travel of Hull has welcomed its first new coach with the arrival of a Yutong GT12, supplied by Pelican Bus and Coach.
It is in the operator’s all-over yellow livery and has the standard 53 seats along with wi-fi, USB and 240-volt charging points, mood lighting, and much else.
Power is from the DAF MX-11 engine developing 450bhp coupled to a ZF EcoLife automatic gearbox. The deal was handled for Pelican by Area Sales Manager Amelia Crump.
Speaking about the delivery, UK Coach and Truck Sales Manager Simon Collins says: “We are always pleased when a new vehicle goes out, but when this is the first Yutong and the first new coach purchased, it has an extra special meaning.
“The coach will be easy to spot. The colour looks superb and sets off the GT12 styling superbly.”
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Harris Bus and Coach UK selects Worksop to host headquarters
Harris Bus and Coach UK has selected Worksop for the location of its headquarters, with a showroom and office and support facilities due to open there in March.
The premises will allow the supplier of Higer products to begin delivering its V-10, V-12 and V-14 coaches and Azure battery-electric buses into the UK. An initial order of 45 of those vehicles is in hand.
At Worksop, Harris Bus and Coach UK’s headquarters will additionally provide aftersales support and parts distribution. Parent Harris Group says that the creation of a dedicated bricks and mortar base underscores its “commitment to establishing Higer as a credible alternative to incumbent manufacturers.”
In Ireland, where Harris has already established a Higer presence for diesel coaches and battery-electric buses, the brand saw a 200% year-on-year increase in sales in 2025.
That saw Higer claim second place for market share in last year’s coach market in Ireland as the brand outsold several more established manufacturers. Such success acts as a catalyst for UK entry, Harris says.
The Dublin business adds that it expects to challenge for leadership of the Irish coach market in due course. Managing Director of Harris Bus and Coach in Ireland Willie Daniels notes how the dramatic increase in market presence there “represents a breakthrough moment for Higer.”
He adds: “To outsell established brands in our first full year of serious market presence validates everything we believed about the product and the opportunity.
“Operators are responding to the combination of quality, specification and value that Higer delivers. These are not budget coaches – they are premium products competing directly with the established players, and the 2025 results prove operators recognise that."
Higer coaches for the UK – the two-axle V-10 and V-12 and the tri-axle V-14, with model names representing nominal lengths in metres – will be sold in what the dealership terms base and touring models.
They will sit alongside the Azure battery-electric bus at two lengths, with Harris Bus and Coach UK Managing Director Bill Laidlaw having previously shared how expansion of that range is part of a five-year plan for Higer products in the UK. A V-14E battery-electric coach is among planned additions.
Adds Mr Laidlaw: “We are not entering the UK market tentatively – we are coming with proven products, success in Ireland behind us, and the determination to establish Higer as a genuine alternative to the traditional marques.”