Arriva secures Croatia deal with new contract

NORTH East transport group Arriva has secured a £12.7m contract in Croatia which it says will add hundreds of thousands of kilometres to its operations in the country.

- COREENA FORD AND TOM KEIGHLEY

The Sunderland-based company - one of the North East's largest businesses - has won a new seven-year public service contract in Lika-Senj county, a central area of the country where it has operated for more than 40 years.

The new contract and network upgrade will add around 600,000 kilometres each year to Arriva’s operations in the area, delivered by a fleet of 21 buses and 32 drivers, including 10 new employees. Arriva’s share of the total €27.5m (£23m) contract is valued at around €15.2m (£12.78m) over the seven years.