Why Scanias?

A couple of the new Scanias at Wilts & Dorset were out on the X3 from Saturday. They add a new marque to the area and indicate a departure from the norm...

Think W&D and you automatically think Optare. A collaboration between the two brought some 70 Solos in just two years plus significant Metrorider midis and Spectra double decks, and a handful of Deltas and Excels. W&D was well known for working alongside Optare in product development.

But that was the old W&D. It was just over a year into Go Ahead ownership when things changed. W&D wished to invest in new single deck stock. Optare had phased out the Excel and the Tempo was unready. But that was only half the story. Solos are basically fine minibuses and did their job well, providing real accessibility, but W&D did occasionally find them unreliable. W&D looked elsewhere and purchased Wright Eclipse bodied Volvos, then Mercedes Citaro integrals.

W&D management then turned to double deck replacement. Here, Olympians and VRs rub shoulders with Optare Spectras. The significant order for Scania Omnicity double decks will considerably improve the fleet’s profile. Expect them to see off some of the early ground-breaking Spectras, once the new deckers bed in.

Go South Coast chose Scanias as replacements. First, Optare doesn’t have a double deck product, though there’s rumoured to be one at next month’s Euro Bus Expo. Even so, new W&D management takes a broader view of the manufacturing market. W&D considered traditional East Lancs/Darwen bodywork on conventional chassis, as was the case in 2005 with the Volvo/East Lancs Myllenium convertibles and, indeed, a batch of Scania Omnidekkas for the Swanage services will be so bodied—ironically now badged as Optare. But these 11 are specialist in nature. At the time of the Scania Omnicity order, East Lancs was going through turbulent times and W&D wished to use a different basket for most of its eggs. Added to which, London dual door Go Ahead Darwen-bodied Scanias initially failed their tilt tests, but that is now resolved.

Scania offered integral builds, something familiar to W&D. Though there are those who dislike them, integrals bring benefits. Scania, too, in offering technology that required no additives, is believed to have conquered its fuel economy problem. The clincher was promised shorter delivery times. East Lancs/Darwen had significant widely reported delivery problems at the time (though Scanias didn’t really materialise that early, either).

Photo courtesy of Paul Donald