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 A
high frequency service around the town of
Holywell on Deeside is being provided by an
Optare Solo SE, which the operator says is ideal
for the route.
“The service goes through housing estates with
narrow roads full of parked cars and we also
have town centre congestion to cope with,”
says Wayne Oare of Oares Coaches.
“The compact size and especially the slim
width of the Solo SE model makes it very
suitable for these conditions. At the same time
it’s got a good carrying capacity of 23 plus
up to 11 standees, which we need at peak times.
“It’s only been on the road for a short time
and is already proving very popular with
passengers and well liked by our drivers. The
low entrance, flat floor and well placed
stanchions make it easier for our less mobile
passengers to use, especially elderly people and
mums with children and buggies.
“When we came to sorting out the specification
for the bus we received excellent support from
Optare. They advised us to have a digital
tachograph fitted, helped with selecting the
interior colour scheme, and generally made sure
that we had a vehicle that met our operational
needs, future legislation, and the requirements
laid down by Flintshire County Council who
subsidise the service.”
Oares Coaches new Solo SE is very
comprehensively equipped for a small bus. There
are 23 Rescroft Defender seats fitted with seat
belts so that the bus can be used on school
contracts. Mobitec LED destination equipment is
fitted to the front, side and rear and a four
camera CCTV system was installed during
production of the bus and which provides added
passenger and driver safety.
On such an intensive operation it was important
to ensure a high level of driver comfort. In the
Solo SE this is provided by a full-size
driver’s compartment with plenty of room, all
controls easily to hand, a very comfortable
seat, and a factory fitted radio/cd player.
The driving position and the deep windscreen
provide excellent visibility, which is
particularly important when weaving between
parked cars. With an overall length of 7.8
metres and width of just 2.33 metres it’s very
compact and highly manoeuvrable.
Power in the SE is from the 4.25 litre
Mercedes-Benz 904 La engine rated at 95 kW (127
bhp). This meets the Euro 4 emission standard by
the use of SCR technology requiring the addition
of Adblue. The engine is matched to an Allison
1000 Series 5-speed automatic transmission
incorporating a convertor lock-up in all gears
except first.
For further information please contact:
David Rowlands, Communications Advisor, +44
(0)20 7494 8050
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