Trade Minister sings the praises of bus maker

While on a trade mission to Singapore last month, Northern Ireland Trade Minister Arlene Foster had a meeting with executives from SBS Transit, which carries more than three million passengers on its bus and rail network every day. The company has added Wrightbus vehicles to its fleet in the last few years — most recently with an order in 2012 for 550 double-decker buses, which will be delivered by the middle of next year. The buses will be shipped in CKD (Completely Knocked Down) format from Ballymena to Singapore for assembly there.

Mrs Foster said: “I can’t help but feel a sense of pride when I see buses that have been designed and manufactured in Northern Ireland forming an important part of a public transport network on the other side of the world. Wrightbus is an innovative company that invests heavily in R&D, and the groundbreaking technology incorporated in its vehicles means that they are becoming increasingly attractive to operators around the globe.

“Having already built the ‘Boris Bus’, which is currently on an international tour, Wrightbus is a respected brand associated with innovation and best practice. Its export success is an example of what can be achieved through continually focusing on staying ahead of the competition.”

During the trade mission, Mrs Foster also announced that Belfast-based HeartSine Technologies has won a contract to supply its Automated External Defibrillators to the Singapore Ministry of Defence. She said: “This tremendously important contract will see life-saving technology pioneered in Northern Ireland used extensively in Singapore. Almost 2,000 AEDs have been purchased by Singapore’s armed forces.”