Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) has purchased a further five 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 23 Solos in 2015.

The 7.9m, Euro 5, slim line, Solos are all fitted with e-leather seats and seatbelts, three of the 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.

Two of the vehicles will be used by operators McGills from their Hamilton Depot and one by Shuttle Buses, Kilwinning to operate on demand-responsive MyBus services.  The remaining two vehicles will be operated by Stagecoach, Western Buses and McColls Buses, Dumbarton.

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.”

Chris Hunt, Regional Sales Manager at Optare, said, “SPT has been a customer of Optare for the last 8 years and we are pleased they have chosen to purchase more of the popular Optare Solo to help keep the communities of Strathclyde connected.”