Optare Single Decks

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Yes, a tip off from Optare to Preston Bus might’ve been enough to do it. I’m referring to a reason why Stagecoach no longer favours Optare’s Solo.

Comments under the post entitled “Surprise!” suggested that the former Preston Bus got to hear about forthcoming competition from Stagecoach via Optare. At the time, Preston Bus and Stagecoach were both Optare buyers and loose talk could’ve been enough to spoil the Stagecoach/Optare relationship. This need not *necessarily* be irreparable, though you could imagine that it is. An example: despite highly public & critical comments about its first Optare Tempos, for example, after a suitable interval, Trent Barton has nevertheless returned to buy more. At the time, this was something of a surprise, given Trent Barton’s history with the model.

One criticism of the Solo was that it was too small for Stagecoach’s needs. May be. Indeed, if the age of free travel is militating against minibuses, why then has Stagecoach bothered with any quantity of minibuses, by ordering 127 (plus 39 for London) ADL Enviro 200 Darts? They’re similarly lightweight and comparable in terms of seating capacity. One answer is manoeuvrability: long forward control Solos have equally long wheelbases. The E200 does not.

Enter the Versa. This seats more than the Solo but fewer than the Tempo. It overcomes the wheelbase issue, reducing it by over a metre. The first customer for Versa was… Stagecoach… but there’s no repeat order. Versas are doing better than Tempos. Indeed, once you overcome the unique frontal appearance and slightly unnerving interval rise above the front axle, the Solo-based Versa’s beginning to look like a sound buy. Largely based on the Solo

Tempos are not a huge seller yet there’s been some renewed interest in them recently. Over the summer and autumn of 2009, both Arriva and Transdev Yellow Buses bought them, both for the first time and, in Arriva’s case, here for the first time Tempos entered into Big Five service (other than buses bought for Arriva by the Welsh regional assembly).

TYB is now going for a repeat order, adding four, similarly kitted with leather and wood-effect flooring. Indeed, Optare trumpets its ability to deliver bespoke buses to operators’ exact requirements. Lest we think other manufacturers still live in the age of the highly standardised Leyland National, flexibility isn’t enough to demand a following. ADL and Wrightbus both offer similar levels of adaptability.

And then there are concerns over Optare’s reliability at delivery. This depends upon your viewpoint. Some swear by Optares, others do not. In truth, Optare buses are no less reliable than any other. Optare has recently strengthened its aftermarket care.

Just do not mention the Streetlite.