Silver Service’ is the name of new bus services in Yeovil run by the local independent operator South West Coaches using four specially branded Optare Solos finished in a stylish two-tone metallic grey colour scheme.

The company has worked closely with Somerset County Council and South Somerset District Council, who have each part-funded the new vehicles, to develop the ‘Silver Service’ concept of frequent, high-quality bus services.

Two of the Solos provide a half-hourly service, six days a week from 7.30 am to 6.30 pm, serving the Abbey Manor Park and Larkhill social housing estates. One is on a service that connects the town centre to the main line railway station for trains to London. And the fourth provides engineering cover.

The new services give residents on the estates direct access to employment, shopping and leisure facilities in Yeovil and from there into South West Coaches’ network of 35 routes covering large parts of Somerset and extending as far south as Bournemouth.

Managing Director Alan Graham says: “The Silver Service brand with its highly distinctive livery is intended to convey an image of quality that we think is essential if people are to be persuaded to make more use of the bus. With its modern styling and light and bright interior, Solo also supports that image and makes using the bus a more attractive and pleasant experience.

“We also wanted a bus that young mums and older residents with reduced mobility can easily and safely use. The way Solo is configured, with the front axle forward of the entrance, means that the step height is very low and allows for a flat floor throughout most of the saloon area. This really suits young mums with children and buggies as well as making access easy and safe for older people who are perhaps not as nimble as they used to be.”

Other features designed to add to passenger comfort and safety include Hanover LED destination displays on the front and nearside and a four camera CCTV system. Esteban Civic VO seats have been specified, of which 25 are fixed and three are tip-ups in the wheelchair bay.

The Solos are 2.33 metre wide SlimLine models of 8.8 metres length, which Alan Graham says makes the bus ideal for rural operations on country roads as well as making it easier to cope with the narrow streets in some of the older parts of Yeovil.

South West Coaches have opted for the six-cylinder Cummins ISBe engine in their new Solos. This uses SCR technology to achieve Euro 4 emissions compliance and has a power output of 150 kW (201 bhp) – an increase of over 10 per cent on its Euro 3 rating.

“The appeal of the Cummins to us is its potential durability and longevity,” says Alan Graham. “With this amount of power the engine is never too stressed and this must contribute to less wear and tear as well as better fuel consumption. Because it’s not being worked too hard also makes it a quieter engine, which both drivers and passengers appreciate.”

South West Coaches run a fleet of 80 vehicles on stage carriage services across a wide swathe of Somerset and taking in the major towns of Yeovil, Wincanton, Taunton and Bournemouth and on school contracts, for which it is one of the largest providers in the county.

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