DETROIT — Megabus.com, a daily express bus company that offers $1 fares, announced it will begin service of the first double-decker buses to carry passengers intercity in the United States with an inaugural trip from Chicago to Minneapolis on September 7.

Megabus.com, a subsidiary of Coach USA, purchased 17 wheelchair-accessible double-decker buses and will integrate them into already scheduled routes in Ann Arbor, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Detroit, Indianapolis, Kansas City, St. Louis and Toledo by January 2008.

“Megabus.com strives to introduce new concepts in intercity, express bus travel in the United States,” said Dale Moser, president and COO for megabus.com. “The double-decker buses megabus.com operates in the UK have been a huge hit with customers.”

Manufactured by Belgium-based Van Hool, the new TD925 double-decker has been produced to meet U.S. specifications.

The 79-passenger double-decker buses are 13.2 feet high and are equipped with seat belts for every passenger and two wheelchair spaces. The buses have two doors and the low ground-level entry allows passengers in wheelchairs to enter curbside at the second door. Luggage is kept in the back of the bus instead of underneath, allowing more room for passengers.

The megabus.com double-decker bus trips will always have $1 tickets available for a limited number of seats. Passengers are encouraged to book early to receive these low fares. After all $1 tickets have sold, prices increase incrementally.

Megabus.com, which launched in the United States April 2006, offers low-cost bus travel to 12 Midwest cities and seven West Coast cities and has served more than 500,000 customers.

Booking for megabus.com travel is done at www.megabus.com. The web site provides information on arrival and departure times and allows passengers to quickly book their travel and purchase tickets from the comfort of their home, office or wireless handheld device.