Today, Graham Belgum was appointed President of Optare Group taking on the strategic and operational leadership role of the company and reporting to Head of Global Bus at Ashok Leyland. Graham joined Optare on 2nd March 2015 as Business Process Excellence and Aftermarket Director. Since then, Graham has been instrumental in delivering a series of improvements focusing on customer support and manufacturing. Graham’s previous success in the bus industry leading (and learning from) operating companies through transformation and improvement has been pivotal to the success of the program that Graham has delivered to date at Optare.
Graham is a Chartered Engineer with 30 years experience in the design, development and operational support of vehicles. For the last decade Graham has worked primarily in the bus industry leading operators through transformation and improvement.
Graham Belgum, said, “Optare is about so much more than building buses. As a manufacturer we have a responsibility to innovate greener vehicles and provide service solutions that support operators in delivering an outstanding service for passengers at the best possible whole life cost. This philosophy is at the heart of everything we do. I look forward to continuing to work with the team at Optare applying my knowledge from working with operators for many years to develop quality products and service offerings and shape the future of this innovative company. Now is an exciting time for Optare, the Metrodecker demo program is in full swing and the first pre-production vehicles are due to start trail with national operators over the next two months.
John Fickling, Non Executive Chairman at Optare, added, “Graham has brought to Optare a wealth of experience in delivering improvements in efficiency and customer service and his operator knowledge has been invaluable in driving Optare’s program of continuous improvement. His appointment to President, which comes with the continued support and working within the overall strategic direction set by Ashok Leyland, is the natural next step for the future of Optare and the success of our current and future product range, including the Metrodecker.”
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Richmond Coaches have added three Euro 6 Solos to their fleet. Established in 1946 Richmond Coaches is a family owned company located near Cambridge.
The 9.2m, Euro 6, Solos seat up to 30 and will serve routes 386 and 90/91 for Hertfordshire County Council following a recent tender award.
Andrew Richmond, Managing Director at Richmond’s Coaches, said, “As part of our service to the local community we operate in, we are always looking for the most environmentally friendly and fuel efficient ways to transport our passengers around Hertfordshire and the Solo with the latest Euro 6 engine meets our requirements perfectly.
We currently have 6 Solos in the fleet including the three new ones. We bought our first solo in 2000 and have always bought them new. Our experience has been excellent with Optare giving great back up to the product and we have had great feedback from the passengers and drivers. Should we need another bus a Solo would be our choice.”
Tim Matthews, Head of Sales at Optare, said, “I am delighted to hear that the Optare Solo is Richmond Coaches bus of choice and that the Optare product and service back up has supported this operator in delivering an outstanding service for its passengers.”
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Transport Minister, Edwina Hart, today (Thursday, 10 March) launched the new improved bus service between Bangor and Aberystwyth, which completes a revamp of the national TrawsCymru services that has seen 46 new buses introduced on the six long-distance routes since 2011.
As well as four new Optare Metrocity buses with more comfortable seating, free WiFi and bilingual next stop announcement system, a new seven-day-a-week timetable for the T2 service has been introduced to improve access to employment, training and services.
Similar improvements have been made to all six routes of the Welsh Government funded TrawsCymru long distance bus network, which carried a record 1.5 million passengers in 2014/15.
Mrs Hart said: “Today’s launch of the new T2 service between Bangor and Aberystwyth completes a comprehensive upgrade of the TrawsCymru service providing modern vehicles with improved accessibility, comfort and access to the internet. The Welsh Government recognises the importance of bus services in Wales, particularly in rural areas, for providing access to jobs and services. We have now implemented all of the recommendations made by Dr Victoria Winckler in her review of the TrawsCymru network.
“We are also investing in providing over 720,000 passes for free bus travel for the over-60s, disabled and members of the armed forces and recently introduced MyTravelPass offering discounted fares for 16-18 year olds. This demonstrates the Welsh Government’s commitment to ensuring our bus networks meet the changing needs of our communities and increasing the number of passengers using those services.”
Since 2011, 46 new low-floor environmentally friendly buses have been introduced on all six routes of the TrawsCymru network, with improved frequencies and better connections at key hubs.
Robert Drewery from UK bus manufacturer Optare, who have supplied the new Metrocity buses for TrawsCymru, said: “Optare design our buses with the environment in mind and we are proud to be supplying these new fuel efficient Metrocity buses for the T2 service.”
There are more than 720,000 concessionary pass holders in Wales, including armed forces personnel and veterans. In September last year the Welsh Government also introduced MyTravelPass which provides 16-18 year olds a third off fares on all local buses and TrawsCymru journeys throughout Wales.
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Optare is expanding its presence and brand in Australia and New Zealand, with its focus on building a comprehensive sales & after-sales network in the region as a first step.
Discussions with potential dealer partners in Australia and New Zealand have commenced following the termination of Optare’s relationship with Patico Automotive last month. Optare aims to confirm its new network within the next 3 months. Optare will provide full support for vehicles in service during the transition period.
Shannon Taylor, who has gained extensive knowledge working with the Optare product in Australia over the last few years, has joined Optare to coordinate interim sales and aftermarket support in Australia and New Zealand with full factory back up from Optare in the UK.
Robert Drewery, Commercial Director, Optare, commented, “The Optare product with its low deployment costs and fuel efficient design has been extremely well received into the Australian market. We look forward to seeing further growth of our brand in Australia and New Zealand in the future.”
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Minsterley Motors have added five Optare Metrocity buses to their fleet. The 11.5m, Euro 5, Metrocity buses seat up to 44 and join two Optare Solos already in service with Minsterley Motors, operating the Ludlow Park & Ride and town services. The new Metrocity buses will operate on routes between Shrewsbury & Bishops Castle.
John Jones, Managing Director, Minsterley Motors said, “We already operate a number of Optare Solos and our experience of these vehicles has been excellent. We have also been extremely pleased by the dedication and high level of the product support supplied by Optare. The outstanding in service fuel economy performance of the Metrocity made it an easy choice for us.”
Steph Baker, Business Development Manager, Optare, said “The Metrocity is proving very popular with operators looking for a vehicle with excellent fuel economy. I am very pleased that Minsterley Motors has chosen to purchase more Optare buses, this is testament to the quality of the Optare product and service support.”
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Yesterday Optare celebrated the handover of their first Metrodecker demonstrator vehicle to UK Bus Operator of the Year, Reading Buses, for the start of a 1 month trial. Since 2003, this innovative operator has invested millions in over 100 new fully-accessible, ultra-low emission buses for their Premier Routes and subsequent evolution of its network, and welcomes the opportunity to launch the Metrodecker into service.
Martijn Gilbert, Chief Executive Officer, Reading Buses, commented, “We are thrilled to be working with Optare to bring the Metrodecker into service at Reading Buses. We have a have a number of double deck routes and we will be putting the new Optare double deck through its paces. . The orange Metrodecker certainly won’t look out of place amongst our brightly coloured fleet and we are sure that our customers will be as excited about trying out this new vehicle as we are.”
Robert Drewery, Commercial Director, Optare said, “I am delighted that the Metrodecker is entering service with such a respectedand innovative operator, we will be monitoring its performance closely and we look forward to the feedback from Reading Buses and their passengers.”
Optare has set out to impress operators with its newest addition to the product range and like the other vehicles in the Optare family the Metrodecker has a fully integral frame. This low floor double deck boasts light weight credentials and class leading seating capacity. Operators will also be eager to hear the Metrodecker has already demonstrated highly competitive fuel economy in recent independent fuel trials. The Metrodecker is available in two lengths the single door measures in at 11.1metres and the two door at 10.5metres.
Reading Buses have been in operation for over 100 years and have a long history of using Optare products.
The 10.5m TFL specification Metrodecker is set to begin customer trials in early 2016.
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D&G Bus have taken delivery of two Optare MetroCity buses to add to their fleet. The buses join 23 Optare Solos (including one low carbon Solo) and 3 Optare Versas in the D&G Bus fleet. The Euro 5, 10.8m Optare MetroCity buses seat up to 40 and will operate on Service 16 Hanley to Leek.
David Reeves, Managing Director, D&G Bus said, “We have always found that the Optare products perform very well when it comes to fuel economy and we have heard great reports about the Optare MetroCity performance from other operators in the area. We are hoping to see a return on our investment in the form of reduced ownership costs, such as fuel consumption, within a very short time.”
Steph Baker, Business Development Manager, Optare, said, “I am thrilled to hear that the MetroCity has been so highly recommended by other operators, and that this longstanding customer of Optare will benefit from the excellent fuel economy that the MetroCity delivers.”
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Marshalls of Sutton on Trent have purchased their first Optare MetroCity. The MetroCity bus will join the existing service fleet consisting of two Optare Versas and six Solos. The new MetroCity will serve route 90 between Newark and Nottingham.
Marshalls of Sutton on Trent was established in 1989. The family run business is now recognised as one of the leading coach & bus operators in the East Midlands.
John Marshall, Managing Director of Marshalls, commented: “We already operate a number of Optare Versas and when we were looking for a new addition to our fleet, we trialled the Optare MetroCity. We were so impressed with the performance, fuel economy and passenger feedback that we decided that the Optare MetroCity would be the perfect fit for us.”
Chris Hunt, Business Development Manager at Optare, said: “The single door MetroCity has been a real hit with operators since its launch at EuroBus 2014. Its manoeuvrability and impressive fuel economy are particularly appealing and I’m thrilled that Marshalls have found it to be such a perfect fit for their requirements. We hope that this will be the first of many for Marshalls!”
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Shetlands Island Council have purchased a 9.7m Solo manufactured by Optare. The Euro 5 Solo features a convertible seat arrangement between 19 seats and 3 wheelchairs or 27 seats and 1 wheelchair and will be used to support the travel needs of children with additional support needs.
Elaine Park, Transport Contracts and Operations Officer, Shetlands Island Council commented, “The new Solo provides a flexible approach to configuration of the vehicle which ideally suits our service requirements. Combining that with the reliability and efficiency we’ve seen from other Optare buses in our fleet means we can be confident of continuing the development of a transport system for Shetland which will contribute to the development of a safe, healthy, vibrant and inclusive society whilst also achieving enhanced environmental quality.”
Chris Hunt, Business Development Manager at Optare, said: “We are delighted to be supplying more buses to the Shetland Islands Council, who know from experience that they have a robust, fuel efficient vehicle that appeals to drivers and passengers alike.”
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Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) has purchased a further 5 Optare Solos to be used on various subsidised local bus services across the area, including on the demand-responsive MyBus service. This follows an investment in 18 Solos earlier in the year.
The 7.9m, Euro 5, slim line, Solos are all fitted with leather seats and seatbelts, two of the MyBus Solos feature two wheelchair bays and 17 seats, making them ideal for use on MyBus, a bookable bus service offering door-to-door transport in urban and rural areas.
Three of the vehicles will be used by operators McGills for the on demand-responsive MyBus service. The other two vehicles will be operated by Stagecoach and Gillens Coaches.
An SPT spokesperson said:
“The purchase of these new buses is part of our continued commitment to keeping communities connected and making public transport accessible, attractive and easy to use. We currently have a number of Slimline Solos in operation and they have performed well on our MyBus service, meeting our requirements for seating capacity, while still being of a size that permits ease of operation in residential urban areas and more remote rural locations.”
Tim Matthews, Head of UK Sales, Optare, said:
“SPT has been a customer of Optare for the last 7 years and we are thrilled to be supplying more of our popular Solos to help keep the communities of Strathclyde connected.”
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