Wright and Son has entered into a partnership with Chance Coach in Wichita, Kansas, to develop and manufacture a European-style urban bus for North America.

The County Antrim firm recently supplied the Northern Ireland transport company Translink with 45 new Belfast Citybuses and 45 Ulsterbuses, and said its brief was to develop a new bus aimed at encouraging more Americans towards public transport.

The company said: "US transit authorities want to attract people out of their cars and recognise that the country's typical buses - basic, solidly built vehicles, with steep steps for passengers to climb into their seats are not the answer."

'Step-free entrances'

Wright's said its buses with "step-free entrances" allow parents to bring baby buggies straight on and off buses without having to fold them.

The company showed off its prototype at the American Public Transport Association Trade show in Orlando, Florida earlier this year and plan to have the new buses on American roads by 2001.

Commercial Director of Wright's Mark Nodder said that they would not have been able to field business in the US without an American partner.

He said: "After extensive research, we concluded that the American market offers us the greatest opportunity for future growth.

US partner found

"It was also essential that we identified a partner for this venture, as the Buy-American Act obliges transit authorities to buy vehicles built in the United States, using US-sourced components for at least 60% of each bus."

The new bus combines a chassis made by Chance Coach in the US and a body designed and developed by Wright's in Ballymena.