East London Line Replacement Bus Service (Optare)

請問呢種車坐多少人？
其實我覺得如香港的小巴公司可以買呢間車廠的車做小巴，可以提升效率，最起碼係低地台小巴嘛

原帖由 MetroLine 於 2008-6-1 10:32 發表
請問呢種車坐多少人？
其實我覺得如香港的小巴公司可以買呢間車廠的車做小巴，可以提升效率，最起碼係低地台小巴嘛

最細o個部都要由HK$ 130 萬起.......邊個會買o黎當小巴?

呢d optare車仔得個靚, 又唔係坐得多人, 又唔係好力, 比著係大公司都買Dart仔好過...

原帖由 ATE22 於 2008-6-1 09:41 發表
呢d optare車仔得個靚, 又唔係坐得多人, 又唔係好力, 比著係大公司都買Dart仔好過...

You got it all wrong. The Solo actually completely outsold similar size Dart (8.8m and 9.2m versions) since entering production in 1998 across the UK. It can't be any worse than Dart - or should I say it should have some credit, for it to become the standard samll midibus for three of the "Big 5" groups - First, Stagecoach and Arriva, and to have sold over 3,000 over the last 10 years.

One misconception I should point out is although the Solo looks like a minibus, it is not. The smallest Solo, the 7.1m SE version, still seat 23 people (plus up to 10 standees), and it is a heavier vehicle - well over 5 tonnes empty. This bus is actually more of the same size as the AM in KMB (which I think the Solo would be a good replacement), and the smaller size Darts for the matter.

OT:

big 5, which is First, Stagecoach, Arriva and what are the rest of two? National Express Group and what? Go-Ahead?

for NV58:
the Solo did not enjoy much success in London, and currently there are very few of them in service- mainly with Epsom buses.
London service conditions can not really be compared with many other locations outside London. Let me explain:
the typical london bus service starts daily at 05:30 and finish after midnight. on about a third of the routes there is a 24 hour service. The frequencies are fairly constant during the day. spares ratio is 12-14%. In other words, the buses are out in service most of the day...
this is not the situation outside London, where most of the service day is shorter, and weekend service is much reduced.
Therefore, when buses leave London service after 5-7 years, they have to undergo major refurbishment.

I am not saying that the solo or the varios are bad buses; but that they are better suited for quieter life.

Route ELS would be withdrawn later this year; Route ELW would then run from Wapping to Shoreditch using single deck buses- with First. This is a service proposal currently under consultation,

so, travel London would probably recycle those solos to travel surrey...

regards

Yoram

The solo, like the dart, comes in different sizes; and so does the darts.
The plaxton dart is the UK's best selling bus - with well over 7,000 sold since production begun. this is a rare success story...

For me, the biggest advantage of the solo is that is sells a model which is narrower than the dart model.

regards

Yoram

原帖由 yblumann 於 2008-6-1 18:26 發表
for NV58:
the Solo did not enjoy much success in London, and currently there are very few of them in service- mainly with Epsom buses.

No it never has, and it never will actually. Solo's poor showing in London has more to do with the fact that Dennis has already capture practically the whole midibus market in London with the Dart. The Dart range, esp the SLF version, is very specifically (and rightly so) geared for the London market. For London operators, if they need some midibuses ranging between the length of 9-11m, the Dart is a no brainer - Getting a Solo is simply introducing a non-standard type of vehicle in that range, because its longest version, the 10m one, is far from ideal for having such a long wheelbase (which is what drives Optare to develop the Versa). The Solo range simply doesn't fit well in London's operation philosophy.

The factors you quoted are irrelavent because at the end of the day, the companies will pack the type of vehicles that they think will make them more money. Dennis/Transbus/ADL know this well, and they certainly know how to keep the London market happy with the Dart and now E200Dart. The presence they have in London simply make it difficult for Optare or even VDL to break into the market.

It is unfair to claim the Solo cannot be dispatched into service in the same way as, let's say, a Dart can do. For the matter, the Vario, which is essentially a O814, is not a fair comparison to the Solo, designed from ground as a bus. The Solo is a much more robust and decent bus than many people thought it actually is, and the fact that it achieved its current production WITHOUT the London market to support it put it into perspective on what a success it actually is.