NEW open-top buses will be touring the sights of York following an investment boost for the city’s hard-hit tourism sector.

Passengers will be able to hop on and off CitySightseeing York’s new red fleet of high specification, low emission buses which have mobile device charging at every seat.

The launch comes just days after parent company Transdev doubled the frequency of its bus tours to run every 15 minutes daily.

After a blessing by The Revd. Canon Maggie McLean, Canon in Residence at York Minster, Transdev chief executive Alex Hornby said: “As we celebrate our 20th year of touring York, we wanted to do something special and this investment proves our long-term commitment to CitySightseeing and tourism in York during what has been a successful, yet delayed, start to the usual season.

“We believe these high-spec, low-emission buses - boasting free Wi-Fi, USB power, a 10-language speaker system and Clean Air Zone-ready - will bring comfort and enjoyment to our guests, whilst our revitalised team of local bus drivers and live, on-board tour guides will entertain and inform the thousands we welcome every week.”

Welcome to Yorkshire CEO James Mason said: “The increasing numbers of people enjoying these tours is in line with everything we’re hearing from tourism attractions here in York and across Yorkshire; visitors are choosing Yorkshire in increasing numbers for a holiday or short break.

“The CitySightseeing open-top buses give a unique vantage point to enjoy the best views of all the unmissable sights of York, including Clifford’s Tower, the city walls and of course the magnificent York Minster, and the guides certainly bring the experience to life with lots of stories of the city’s past and present.York stands at the heart of Yorkshire’s visitor economy and makes an ideal base to discover Yorkshire, including the Yorkshire Dales, North York Moors and coastline.”

Tourism agency VisitEngland has awarded CitySightseeing York its We’re Good to Go confidence mark.

To qualify, the operator demonstrated that all social distancing and cleanliness measures are in place on its buses.

CitySightseeing York tours follow a circular route every 30 minutes from 9am to 4.30pm. Customers are free to hop on and hop off over 24 hours.

Those who book online are covered by the tour’s Rainy Day Guarantee – if it rains on their booked tour day, visitors can use their ticket instead on any other day that week.