Optare is moving into the Australian bus market with the exclusive appointment of a new dealer and plans for demonstration vehicles to be available in the near future.

The dealer, Avia Oceania, is based in Dandenong, a suburb of Melbourne, and is the Avia truck dealer for Australia. Avia is a subsidiary of Ashok Leyland, Optare’s major shareholder, and the appointment directly stems from that relationship.

Initially they will offer Optare’s Tempo SR and Solo SR single-deck models. These stylish integral buses are expected to prove appealing to Australian operators because of their low-weight, leading to exceptional fuel efficiency.

Glenn Saint, Optare Deputy CEO, comments: “The Australian bus market is substantial with an estimated 88,000 buses registered in the country and has shown consistent growth over the past few years. The structure of the market also lends itself to our products with a large proportion, some 60 per cent, being small buses of the type for which Optare is renowned through its award-winning Solo range.

“We’ll also be looking at the high density urban sector with our Tempo model, which is available in three body lengths of 10.6, 11.3 and 12.0 metres and with standard seating capacities ranging from 35 to 43. The 12 metre SR model weighs in at just 9650kg giving it the potential to carry up to 85 passengers.

“The appointment of Avia Oceania as our exclusive representative in Australia is a great example of the benefits we are gaining from our relationship with Ashok Leyland. As one of the world’s top five bus manufacturers it is able to support us in a number of ways to open up new markets and we are excited at the prospects of doing business in Australia through Avia Oceania.”