Four new Solos have joined two already in service with James King Coaches of Kirkcowan to be used on local stage carriage work in a beautiful part of South West Scotland.

Owner Jimmy King made the decision to buy the buses following good in-service performance from his earlier pair. “They’ve been very reliable and good on fuel,” he says. “And I’ve also been very impressed with the level of service back-up I get from Optare’s Unitec operation, which had a big influence on my decision.”

Three of the Solos are 8.8 metre SlimLine models each with 27 seats including two tip-ups in the wheelchair bay. The fourth is a 7.8 metre SE model that has 23 seats and is the first SE to enter service in this part of Scotland. All are fitted with digital tachographs and each has a factory-fitted radio and CD player with speakers throughout the saloon.

The Solos are powered by the Mercedes-Benz 904 La engine, which meets Euro 4 emission standards by the use of SCR technology requiring the addition of Adblue. In the larger Solos the engine is rated at 115kW (154 bhp) and in the smaller SE it delivers 95 kW (127 bhp).

Jimmy King is already reporting a significant improvement in fuel consumption from his new Solos, which he expects to improve further once the engines have fully bedded down. “In a recent comparative test I saw savings of 22 litres a week from one of the new Solos compared with a similar engined vehicle – not an Optare product,” he says. “If that’s repeated by all four of them, then I should see a good saving on fuel costs over the course of a year.”

Three of the Solos are running in James King colours with the fourth being operated by sister company ABC Travel on local town services in and around Castle Douglas. One of the James King Solos is on a local town service in Kirkcudbright and two are operating stage carriage services between Newton Stewart and Port William on the Machars peninsula, taking in Wigton and Whithorn.

The new buses have been well received by drivers and passengers. “The drivers love them,” he says. “They’re comfortable and easy to drive and have ample power that helps make it easier to maintain schedules. Passengers have commented on the ease of access and the light and airy feel in the saloon.

“Our experience with our first two Solos has been that they’re relatively straightforward to service and repair. And when we’ve needed parts, the Unitec operation at Rotherham delivers to us the following day. We’ve also been getting good support from their Scottish depot up in Cumbernauld.

“Overall I’m very happy with the Optare Solo, which is well-suited to the rural operating conditions in this part of Scotland. It’s also a smart-looking modern bus that presents a good image for both of my businesses.”

James King Coaches and ABC Travel run 35 vehicles on a mix of coaching, school contract and stage carriage work.

For further information please contact:
David Rowlands, +44 (0)20 7494 8050 drowlands@automotivepr.com