£1m superbuses with leather seats and wifi on the way

The Arriva 'Sapphire' vehicles are among the first in the region and will be used from Sunday.

There is currently only one other Sapphire service in the Midlands between Tamworth and Birmingham.

The buses will be used on four routes through Cannock, Great Wyrley, Cheslyn Hay, Bloxwich and Walsall.

Numbers 1, 2, 2a and 2e will get the new facilities. They currently provide up to five buses each hour Monday to Saturday during the day, and every 60 minutes Sunday daytime and evening.

The buses include power points to charge phones and laptops, free wifi, and leather seats.

There will also be a new electronic display that announces the name of the next stop.

Buses will run from Cannock town centre through to Hatherton Road in Walsall, starting at 6.15am. Stops include the Bridgtown depot, Station Street in Cheslyn Hay, Norton Lane in Great Wyrley and the Bull's Head in Bloxwich.

Alex Perry, managing director at Arriva Midlands, said: "We're delighted to be bringing the Sapphire brand to the area - we're extremely excited to be announcing the investment.

"The bus service will offer our customers a new and improved service. We're confident that they will be delighted with the enhancements and we hope to encourage to join us on board."

These are among 15 Sapphire services across the country and a total of 174 buses.

Mr Perry added: "The free wifi on these new buses will allow people to make the most of their time while on the move, giving the opportunity to chat with friends, catch up on emails, browse the internet or do some online shopping. The buses even have power sockets adjacent to each seat to allow mobile phones, laptops and other devices to be charged.

"The other new feature on each bus is the audio-visual display that will announce the next bus stop to be called at as the bus moves along the route, giving reassurance to those who might be unfamiliar with the area and being a great help to the visually impaired."