A SCARBOROUGH-based producer of specially designed low-access buses has secured major funding for future development of the business.

Bluebird Vehicles has received a £1 million working capital facility from Centric Commercial Finance, allowing the business to focus on new product development and growth.

A injection of £600,000 from Finance Yorkshire and £100,000 from Business Enterprise will also be paid to Bluebird alongside the working capital funding from Centric.

Bluebird Vehicles was founded in 2003, and is a designer and manufacturer of coach-built, low floor accessible minibuses, midi-buses, van conversions and specialised vehicles, selling predominantly to local authorities, passenger transport executives and service bus operators.

Bluebird is developing a 33-seater low-floor bus to be launched later this year, that will meet diesel emissions criteria. The firm says this will put it in a very strong position to be the market leader in this particular niche.