FirstGroup the preferred choice to ferry the Olympic spectators

The company is the preferred bidder to provide coaches, park and ride services and shuttles for the venues.

FirstGroup, which ran a fleet buses carrying athletes, officials and the media during the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, is set to provide around 500 buses and coaches for London 2012.

This would be for shuttle and venue park and ride services.

FirstGroup would also provide around 90 buses and coaches for park and ride services, aimed to connect parking sites on the periphery of the M25 with the Olympic Park and Ebbsfleet, the statement said.

FirstGroup can expect to provide 300 coaches as part of an express coach service taking spectators to the Olympic Park in Stratford, east London as well as Weymouth and Portland, where the sailing events are being held.

These would be sub-contracted from fleets up and down the country.

FirstGroup would also be responsible for the management of the direct coach operations, bus and coach reservations and the ticketing system, according to the statement.

It would provide operational support staff at all bus and coach locations to manage the fleet.

The 2012 bidding process started in August last year and 78 firms were whittled down to a seven-strong shortlist.

FirstGroup provided a fleet of 75 new single deck buses on a dedicated network of routes linking the key sporting venues in Greater Manchester during the 2002 Commonwealth Games.

The network provided links to and from the main railway stations, Manchester Airport and the athletes' village.

A pool of specially trained drivers was drawn from FirstGroup bus companies across the UK.

Olympic Delivery Authority transport director Hugh Sumner said: "We are aiming for the first public transport Games in 2012 with spectators arriving at venues by rail, walking, cycling and coach services.

"About 10 per cent of spectators will use direct coach services, and a further 11 per cent will use park and ride services to get to events and venues across the country.

"As such this is a significant contract which will help ensure the ODA meets spectators travel requirements in 2012."

Olympics minister Tessa Jowell described it as "a very important contract" for the Aberdeen-based company and the ODA."