Compact size of Solo SE suits Somerset routes

Route restrictions, including some single track roads, led Somerset operator Nippy Bus Limited to choose the Optare Solo SE when recently in the market for a new bus.

“We were looking for a compact, low floor bus with a reasonable passenger capacity,” explains Operations Director, Raymond Lunney. “And that’s what we found in Optare’s Solo SE model, of which we ordered the 7.8 metre long model.

“Its narrow width of just 2.3 metres - compared to 2.5 metres on our larger Solos - makes all the difference on parts of the route where the roads are very narrow, yet it can carry 23 seated passengers and a further 11 standees. We had a demonstrator for a few days and found it was ideal for the service we planned to use it on.”

The SE is running on the hourly N8 service, which operates six days a week over a nine mile route connecting the village of West Coker with Yeovil, taking in numerous small communities on the way. At West Coker it links with other demand responsive services operated by Nippy Bus as part of a wider network covering South Somerset and supported by the County Council.

Nippy Bus has specified the Solo SE to a high standard. The Rescroft Defender 3 seats are fitted with seat belts so that the bus can be used on school contracts. A four camera CCTV system has been installed to provide added passenger and driver security, particularly on night runs. And Mobitec LED equipment is fitted to the front and side with a route number only on the rear to provide clearly visible service and destination information.

“Driver comfort was also an important consideration,” says Raymond Lunney. “Although a small bus, the SE has a full-size driver’s compartment and a very comfortable seat. The layout of the controls and instruments is very driver friendly and, like its larger stablemates, the Solo provides exceptional visibility.”

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.

Based at the new Nippy Bus depot in the village of Martock five miles to the West of Yeovil, Nippy Bus Limited has been in business for just three years. In that short time it has built a fleet of 16 vehicles, including four Optare Solos, and developed an extensive network of 14 demand responsive and fixed schedule routes extending across a wide swathe of South Somerset and using Yeovil as a hub.

The company also operates the Nippy Night Bus service, which provides evening services that link many of the outlying villages and communities with Yeovil. These highly popular services operate until around 21.30 with at least four return runs from 23.00 to enable local people to enjoy the town’s leisure facilities.