In a ground breaking order, easyBus - owned by Stelios, the serial entrepreneur and founder of the easyGroup of companies including easyJet - has chosen a fleet of Optare Soroco mini-coaches to expand and upgrade the high frequency, low cost express service between Central London and Stansted airport which started operating on 7 June 2007. The first of the 15 Sorocos will be delivered in the next four months.

easyBus plans to start a similar service between Central London and Gatwick Airport in Spring 2008 and is so confident of the excellence of the Optare Soroco and the company's after sales back up that it has indicated that this will be operated by a further 15 Sorocos.

The stylish 19-seat Soroco is fully coach-built and finished to a luxurious standard on the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 515 CDi chassis. Features include air conditioning, comfortable coach seats with seatbelts, and extensive use of soft trim throughout the saloon. To reduce driving effort in congested London traffic, the Sorocos have been specified with automatic transmissions.

Finished in the distinctive easyBus orange livery, the Sorocos will become a familiar sight on London's street from November.

Commenting on the order, Optare's Group Managing Director Bob Coombes, who, along with Jonathan Prime Optare's Coach Sales Director, negotiated the order with easyGroup founder Stelios, said: "This is a highly significant development for our team at Optare CoachSales. Typically, coach sales are of small quantities of vehicles that tend to be used on relatively light duty touring and executive coach operations. The easyBus operation calls for an intensive bus-type service offering high levels of luxury and customer comfort and opens the door for us to other demanding applications".

David Rawsthorn, General Manager of easyBus, said: "We want to retain the reliability of our airport services but offer our customers a much enhanced traveling experience. We are confident that the Optare Soroco can deliver style, comfort and reliability, supported by the excellence of Optare's Unitec aftersales service".

For further information please contact:
Martin Hayes, Communications Advisor, +44 (0) 207 494 8050