BUS operators First Manchester, which has a depot in Bury, has embarked on an environment-related drive.

The company has once again chosen BP Lubricants to help convert a number of its buses to synthetic oils.

First Manchester is now involved in phase two of a scheme to improve the cost-efficiency for the company's hard working fleet of buses by switching from mineral oils to more technologically advanced synthetic engine oils.

Duncan Roberts, First Manchester technical engineer, said: "We've already seen the benefits after converting the first 200.

"It has made the depots easier to organise and cleaner to operate. Fewer bus movements are needed and smaller volumes of waste oil are generated."

The company will now start to convert 300 more buses from its fleet of nearly 900.

To put the benefits for an operator like First Manchester into perspective, the first 200 busespreviously needed 600 oil changes a year on mineral oils, compared to just 200 changes on synthetics.

Fewer oil changes means less waste to dispose of, resulting in cleaner depots and easier waste management.

Synthetic engine oils are also ideal for modern, hard working vehicles such as service buses. And fuel consumption is enhanced.