Selby District Council has some exciting plans to celebrate Selby’s Tour de Yorkshire start. Selby will host the Selby Cycle Festival on 2 May, where a number of events and activities will be held across the town centre.
Sherburn in Elmet based bus manufacturer will be working in conjunction with Arriva to provide a free shuttle bus from Sherburn with pick up points in South Milford, Monk Fryston, Hambleton and Thorpe Willougby.
Tickets for the free service are limited and will need to be booked in advance. The Optare buses are powered by the latest Euro 6 environmentally friendly engines and will operate as an additional vehicle on the Arriva 402 403 service route from Sherburn in Elmet to Selby.
Normal fares will apply to the regular Arriva bus service.
Optare is committed to supporting greener travel in the UK and in addition to supplying low carbon diesel buses is currently the largest supplier of fully electric buses in the UK, with over 80 currently in service across the UK, including 8 in Yorkshire.
How to book your free ticket
Please note the 09.18 bus returning at 14.20 is now fully booked, there is still limited availability on the 08.53 bus.
To book your free ticket please email mailto:tourdeyorkshirebus@outlook.com, indicating the following:
- Your chosen departure stop from the journey times below
- Your name
- A contact telephone number (this will only be used to contact you about your ticket)
The vehicle is built to accommodate one wheelchair if you would like to reserve this place please let us know at the time of booking.
Ticket conditions
Tickets will be sent via return email subject to application before 30 April 2015 and capacity.
Please note that return times are specific to the chosen outward bus and stated on the ticket, the 08.53 from Sherburn in Elmet Sherburn Crossroads bus will return at 13.55 and the 09.18 will return at 14:20.
One ticket valid per person. Tickets only valid for the individual named on the ticket.
Tickets must be presented on boarding the bus for both the outward and return journeys.
Tickets will only be valid on the special Optare buses at the departure times stated on the ticket.
Normal fares will apply to the regular Arriva bus service.
Journey Times – Optare made in Yorkshire bus
Bus 1
Outward
08:53 from Sherburn in Elmet Sherburn Crossroads
08:54 from Sherburn in Elmet The Fairway
08:54 from Sherburn in Elmet New Lane
08:55 from South Milford Home Farm
08:56 from South Milford Squash Club
08:56 from South Milford White Swan
08:57 from South Milford Beech Drive
09:00 from Lumby Battersby Roundabout
09:02 from Monk Fryston Blue Bell
09:02 from Monk Fryston Square
09:02 from Monk Fryston Cemetery
09:03 from Monk Fryston Green Lane
09:04 from Hambleton Brecks Farm Lane End
09:05 from Hambleton Breckswood
09:07 from Hambleton Toll Bar Close
09:07 from Hambleton Red Lion
09:07 from Hambleton Wheatsheaf Inn
09:08 from Hambleton Council Houses
09:11 from Thorpe Willoughby The Fox
Returning from Selby Bus Station: 13:55
Bus 2
Outward (Please note this bus is now fully booked)
09:18 from Sherburn in Elmet Sherburn Crossroads
09:18 from Sherburn in Elmet The Fairway
09:19 from Sherburn in Elmet New Lane
09:19 from South Milford Home Farm
09:20 from South Milford Squash Club
09:21 from South Milford White Swan
09:21 from South Milford Beech Drive
09:24 from Lumby Battersby Roundabout
09:26 from Monk Fryston Blue Bell
09:27 from Monk Fryston Square
09:27 from Monk Fryston Cemetery
09:28 from Monk Fryston Green Lane
09:29 from Hambleton Brecks Farm Lane End
09:30 from Hambleton Breckswood
09:31 from Hambleton Toll Bar Close
09:32 from Hambleton Red Lion
09:32 from Hambleton Wheatsheaf Inn
09:32 from Hambleton Council Houses
09:35 from Thorpe Willoughby Francis Court
09:36 from Thorpe Willoughby Field Avenue
09:36 from Thorpe Willoughby Field Lane Shops
09:37 from Thorpe Willoughby Willow Rise
09:38 from Thorpe Willoughby Field Lane Shops
09:39 from Thorpe Willoughby Field Avenue
09:40 from Thorpe Willoughby Londesborough Grove
09:41 from Thorpe Willoughby The Fox
Returning from Selby Bus Station: 14:20
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Coastal Coaches has added three new Optare Solos, the first of a batch of eight, to their bus fleet. Family run Coastal Coaches currently operate an all Optare fleet of eight Optare Solos. The Solos will operate on route 76, around Blackpool, rural Fylde and Lytham St Annes.
The 7.9m Euro 5 slim line Solos seat up to 27. The buses are named Master Luke, Master Liam and Miss Elvi following a tradition of naming the buses after family and close friends.
Bill Holder, Owner at Coastal Coaches, said, “We have run Solos for many years and have been extremely happy with their performance, therefore when it came to buying new vehicles, Optare vehicles were the obvious choice for us. The routes these vehicles serve are quite narrow in places so the slim line Solo is ideal for this purpose.”
Tim Matthews, UK Sales & National Key Account Manager, Optare, said, “Coastal Coaches have been a loyal customer and supporter of Optare since 2003, and we are delighted to be replacing their fleet of Solos with the latest model”.
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A&M Group (Flexibus) have added their first new Optare Solo to their bus fleet. Family run A&M Group currently operate a fleet of over 7 Optare Solos all fitted with seatbelts.
A&M Group (Flexibus) have successfully operated in partnership with Warwickshire County Council since 1998. Flexibus is a bus service open to everyone but particularly helpful to people with mobility problems. The Euro 5 Slim line Solo SR seats up to 31 and will operate on routes around Warwickshire, Worcestershire and West Midlands
Ian Thompson, Director at A & M, said, “We have run Solos for many years and have been extremely happy with their performance, therefore when it came to buying a new vehicle, the Solo SR was the obvious choice for us.”
Tim Matthews, UK Sales & National Key Account Manager, Optare, said, “We are thrilled to be supplying A&M with what we hope will be the first of many new Optare buses.”
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The customised Optare Solo donated to the London Transport Museum is proving very popular with Children visiting the new All Aboard family play zone which opened on 28 March 2015.
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Bus manufacturer Optare has given a custom built bus to London Transport Museum for the new All Aboard family play zone which opens to the public on 28 March. The Solo midi bus was suspended in mid-air before being loaded up into the upper deck of the All Aboard play area by a crew of lifting specialists from Allelys using a heavy duty fork lift.
The distinctive design of the Solo is a favourite with bus operators and passengers alike and now it will hold a firm place in the hearts and minds of young explorers visiting the Museum who will be able to sit in the driving seat and operate the indicators, change the bus blinds and check out the CCTV.
All Aboard has been designed especially for children aged 0 to 7 years and as well as being able to get in the driver’s seat of the Optare Solo they will be able to repair a mini Tube train and play in the ‘Lost Property’ office. They can enjoy ‘sailing’ the Thames Nipper, serve passengers in the Nipper café, fly the Emirates Air Line cable car, make driver announcements and help customers at the mini information desk. The singing stars of the future can also play musical instruments at the busking spot.
The Solo’s low entry floor combined with the front axle forward of the front door allows for easy access to a fully flat lower saloon area, meaning the vehicle is perfect for very young children to climb aboard.
Sam Mullins, Director of London Transport Museum, said “We are very grateful to Optare for transforming their latest Solo bus into a memorable interactive learning experience for our young visitors. The Optare bus will be a key attraction within our new All Aboard family play zone, and a heavily visited, and photographed feature for all our Museum visitors. The new play zone will encourage our youngest visitors to learn through imaginative and creative play, using role play and dressing up as they become a bus driver or mechanic, and learn about some of the essential jobs which enable the transport system to function.”
Enrico Vassallo, CEO of Optare, commented, “When the London Transport Museum told us how popular the previous Optare bus had been with the children in the gallery, we were only too pleased to supply a custom built version of our latest Solo model, which is available in both Euro 6 diesel and full electric for the next generation of young people to enjoy and learn about bus travel in the new purpose built gallery at the Museum.”
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Optare is pleased to announce the appointment of Hariharan Krishnamurthi as Chief Financial Officer.
For seven years prior to joining Optare, Mr Krishnamurthi was Chief Financial Officer and Company Secretary of the joint venture between Ashok Leyland and Nissan Motors of Japan. In this role, Mr. Krishnamurthi was responsible for setting up the finance systems and processes for enabling the achievement of key business objectives.
Mr Krishnamurthi has been working with Ashok Leyland since 1996. He has handled all areas of finance including project management, management accounting, budgeting, costing and investor relations.
Enrico Vassallo, Chief Executive of Optare, commented, “Mr Krishnamurthi brings a wealth of financial and leadership experience to Optare.”
Mr. Krishnamurthi, commented, “I look forward to working at Optare, and have always believed that change represents both a challenge and an opportunity. I believe that as a team we can achieve our key business objectives.”
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Local MP for Selby and Ainsty, Nigel Adams visited the Optare manufacturing facility at Sherburn in Elmet, near Leeds last week.
Optare is committed to supporting greener travel in the UK and in addition to supplying low carbon diesel buses is currently the largest supplier of fully electric buses in the UK, with over 80 currently in service across the UK.
The visit included a tour of the factory where Mr Adams met staff and saw several buses in production, including Optare’s fully electric models, a further 6 of which are due to go into service at York’s newest Park and Ride this year.
Mr Adams said, “I was very impressed with the quality and design of the latest electric and low emissions buses manufactured in Sherburn in Elmet. It was a delight to see buses for world markets being made in Yorkshire. It is a very competitive international market and one in which Optare shows engineering excellence.”
The Optare factory employs over 400 local people and in addition to supplying vehicles across the UK, exports its vehicles as far afield as South Africa, The Middle East and Australia.
Enrico Vassallo, CEO, Optare PLC said: “Nigel Adams MP’s visit to the factory underlines the importance of Optare’s contribution to the local and UK economy. We were particularly delighted to be able to showcase the proven technology of our fully electric vehicles and our newly developed MetroDecker, double deck vehicle.”
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Stagecoach UK Bus has placed an order worth £7.3million for new Euro 6 Optare Solos of varying specifications to add to their fleet in 2015. This order is in addition to 5 fully electric vehicles to be delivered this month.
Sam Greer, Stagecoach UK Bus Regional Director from Stagecoach UK Bus, commented on the recent order, “Optare Solos have been a tried and tested part of our fleet going back a number of years and our customer feedback suggests that our passengers like these vehicles too.”
Enrico Vassallo, CEO, Optare, said, “We are delighted to be supplying more Optare vehicles to Stagecoach. In line with the Stagecoach greener, smarter, travel strategy these Solos will be the first Euro 6 vehicles Optare have supplied to Stagecoach “
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Perryman’s the multi award winning operator with depots in Berwick upon Tweed and St Boswells have signed an order for two Low Carbon Certified Solos. The buses are set to join 23 other Optare Vehicles in the Perryman’s fleet and will operate on cross border services in and around Northumberland, the Scottish Borders & East Lothian.
Low carbon emission buses are defined by the Government as those producing 30% less emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) than an average Euro 3 diesel bus. The Optare Low Carbon Certified 9.7m Solo SR bus, seats up to 34 and has been developed with intelligent energy management, which optimises energy usage and reduces losses.
Roddy Perryman, Operations Manager, Perryman’s, said, “Ordering these vehicles demonstrates our commitment to helping the environment. We are continually looking at ways of making travel cleaner and more appealing to the public. Investing in these high spec low carbon vehicles will hopefully help the cause, making more people make the switch from car to bus.
Optare vehicles play a massive part in our network and the Solo vehicle works well both on our rural services and town centre routes.”
Tim Matthews, Head of Sales at Optare, said, “Our Low Carbon Certified buses are attractive operators not only because of the environmental benefits but also because Low carbon emission buses are significantly more fuel efficient, so can deliver a return on investment in the form of reduced ownership costs, such as fuel consumption.”
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Damory announces latest investment with new fleet of buses for Dorset
Go Ahead-owned Damory is continuing its investment in new transport by introducing five brand new buses to its popular Dorset services.
The announcement closely follows the launch of the operator’s refurbished X11 fleet – and underlines its commitment to enhancing bus services across the county.
Dorset County Council and Damory formally launched the new buses at a special event at County Hall in Dorchester.
“Buses in Dorset, particularly across rural areas of the county, are an essential method of travel for many. And I am delighted that we have been able to invest £0.5 million in our fleet here,” said Andrew Wickham.
“These new buses are set to deliver exceptional performance, as well as offering environmental benefits – including lower emissions.
“We would not have been able to embark on this commercial venture if it weren’t for the continued support of Dorset County Council. It’s a tremendous sign that people in the region value the services we offer here.”
The new Solo buses – manufactured by Optare – are operating across Damory’s 1,2,101 Dorchester, R71 Lyme Regis and R40 Bridport routes. They are the first to feature lighter floor colours, after Damory teamed up with Alzheimer’s Society to make its buses dementia friendly.
“Many of those with the disease are uneasy about crossing darker floors – fearing them to be like ‘black holes’,” added Andrew. “We wanted to make our buses more accessible for all – and this was one aspect of that.”
Cllr Peter Finney, Dorset County Council’s Cabinet member for environment, said: “I am delighted that Damory buses have invested in their fleet, benefitting the people of Dorchester.
“I am also pleased that they have been able to accommodate the wishes of dementia groups to help people with dementia issues.”
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