(02 Feb 2014, 3:03 pm)Dan wrote Assuming the frequency was to stay the same with a double decker (not sure where the reduction in frequency comes into play?), buying additional smaller single decked vehicles to meet the same seats per hour is likely to be more expensive in the long run.
With a bigger frequency comes more costs (insurance, various equipment a company uses to track vehicles etc, destination display equipment, drivers' wages etc).
I think you've got the prices wrong - single deckers can cost anywhere from £110k upto £180k, deckers from £180k upwards. Oblivious it costs more for any extra on the vehicles (ie WiFi, plug sockets etc). So, in reality, Arriva's OmniCitys on the 85/685 will each cost minimum £40k less than one of the B9s on the Ten. And additionally, as Arriva Bus & Coach is the main dealer for VDL in this country, Arriva get a discount on the Pulsars.