With the first Solo SRs from an order for 190 about to enter service in Cape Town, Optare, along with its partner Busmark 2000, has launched the model to the wider South African market. At a launch event in Cape Town on 7th November, Busmark also announced plans to expand its presence in the Western […]

New: Low-weight 11.7m Versa On display in the colours of Go Ahead North East – who are to put the vehicle though its paces on extended route evaluation trials over the coming months – is the new 11.7 metre Versa. A key selling point of this new model is its capacity of 44 seated passengers, […]

Berkshire based Courtney Coach Group has ordered 11 Optare Solo SRs to form the backbone of a renewal of its bus fleet and to maintain the maximum age profile of five years on its Corporate and Bus network. Deliveries will commence in November with conclusion of the order in line with Courtney’s requirements in January […]

Optare is to exhibit its highly successful Solo midibus on the Ashok Leyland stand at IAA Hannover between the 20th and 27th of September. The stand, numbered A21 in hall 11, will also showcase AVIA, Ashok Leyland’s Czech truck and bus chassis operation, which will exhibit four models from its range, and Russian associate Volgabus, […]

Optare has won a multi-million pound order for 33 of its Solo SR model to be used on the Island of Jersey. Hackney based social enterprise company HCT Group is taking 33 vehicles to form the backbone of a new bus fleet for an island life on Jersey following its successful win of a competitive […]

Optare has added to its popular Versa range with an 11.7 metre model that has the passenger capacity of a 12 metre single-decker, but which weighs in at less than eight tonnes. The company believes that the lower capital cost and fuel saving potential of such a low-weight model, able to carry up to 44 […]

Optare has won orders for 26 of its Solo SR model to be used on the Isle of Wight and in Bournemouth. Go Ahead Group has placed an order for 17 Solo SRs for the Isle of Wight as part of its Go South Coast Southern Vectis operation. They are 9.2 metre full width variants, […]

Optare’s investment continues with a £0.5m pounds recently dedicated to expand paint facilities and upgrade CAD equipment at its Sherburn bus plant to meet projected demand for its products. Painting capacity has been increased by around 35 per cent through the installation of a third paint booth. Like the two installed when the plant was […]

Ashok Leyland, parent company of Britain’s Optare bus making business, is targeting five country clusters — West Asia, Africa, Russia, Asean and Latin America — to either export to or start local operations. In an interview with the Indian business media last week, Vinod K Dasari, Managing Director, Ashok Leyland, said the company is looking […]