The Optare Versa is a

low-floor Accessibility is the design of products, devices, services, vehicles, or environments so as to be usable by people with disabilities. The concept of accessible design and practice of accessible development ensures both "direct access" (i. ...

midibus A midibus is a classification of single-decker minibuses which are generally larger than a traditional minibus but smaller than a full-size single decker and can be anywhere between and long. While used in many parts of the world, the mi ...

that was manufactured by

Optare Switch Mobility (originally called Optare) is an English bus manufacturer based in Sherburn-in-Elmet, North Yorkshire. It is a subsidiary of Indian company Ashok Leyland. The company would be responsible for the EV operations of the group with ...

at its

Sherburn-in-Elmet Sherburn in Elmet (pronounced ) is a large village, civil parish and electoral ward in the Selby District of North Yorkshire, England, west of Selby and south of Tadcaster. It was part of the West Riding of Yorkshire until 1974. It is one o ...

factory. In total 883 were produced between 2007 and 2018.Optare Versa
Bus Lists on the Web

Description

First Manchester 49229 YJ12GXW (8685787863)

Optare designed the Versa to fill a gap in its bus product range between the larger

Tempo In musical terminology, tempo (Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (often ...

full-size Full-size car—also known as large car—is a vehicle size class which originated in the United States and is used for cars larger than mid-size cars, it is the largest size class for cars. In Europe, it is known as E-segment or F-segment. ...

single-decker bus A single-decker bus or single-decker is a bus that has a single deck for passengers. Normally the use of the term ''single-decker'' refers to a standard two- axled rigid bus, in direct contrast to the use of the term double-decker bus, which ...

and the smaller

Solo Solo or SOLO may refer to: Arts and entertainment Comics * ''Solo'' (DC Comics), a DC comics series * Solo, a 1996 mini-series from Dark Horse Comics Characters * Han Solo, a ''Star Wars'' character * Jacen Solo, a Jedi in the non-canonical ''S ...

minibus A minibus, microbus, minicoach, or commuter (in Zimbabwe) is a passenger-carrying motor vehicle that is designed to carry more people than a multi-purpose vehicle or minivan, but fewer people than a full-size bus. In the United Kingdom, ...

. Some operators of the longest of

-derived Solo models commented that the 7.0m wheelbase was too long, reducing manoeuvrability, which resulted from the Solo's front axle being ahead of the passenger entrance. It was officially launched at the Euro Bus Expo 2006 at the

National Exhibition Centre The National Exhibition Centre (NEC) is an exhibition centre located in Marston Green, Solihull, West Midlands, England. It is near junction 6 of the M42 motorway, and is adjacent to Birmingham Airport and Birmingham International railway stati ...

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the West ...

in November 2006, with the first order of 25 buses being placed by

Stagecoach A stagecoach is a four-wheeled public transport coach used to carry paying passengers and light packages on journeys long enough to need a change of horses. It is strongly sprung and generally drawn by four horses although some versions are draw ...

. The Versa, with its entrance ahead of the front axle, considerably reduces the wheelbase, to either 5.13m or 5.82m (depending upon whether the overall length is 10.3m or 11m respectively). It is designed to seat between 36 and 40 passengers. The Versa has a typical Optare design, with a swooping roof line, large glazed area and swept-back front which takes many of its styling cues from the Solo, but with a more modern, updated appearance. Following the restructuring of Optare in November 2020 and the launch of Switch Mobility the Versa was dropped from Optare's line-up in favour of the Metrocity. The last Versas were built in 2018

Hybrid electric version

In 2010, a Hybrid electric bus, hybrid electric version was introduced with the first 68 ordered by

Transport for Greater Manchester Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) is the public body responsible for co-ordinating transport services throughout Greater Manchester in North West England. TfGM is responsible for investments in improving transport services and facilities. ...

. Of these, 20 were introduced on the

FirstBus FirstGroup plc is a British Multinational corporation, multi-national transport group, based in Aberdeen, Scotland.Metroshuttle free bus is a zero-fare bus system that operates in Greater Manchester. The system was first introduced in Manchester city centre in 2002, with three routes linking the city's major thoroughfares and stations with its main commercial, financia ...

routes in November 2010, while others were operated by

Maytree Travel Maytree Travel was a bus operator based in Bolton in Greater Manchester. History The company was formed in 2008 by owner Gary Hawthorne, who took over the Bolton operations of Tyrer Bus, who first started operating in Bolton in 2007. The compan ...

Electric version

In 2012, an

electric Electricity is the set of physical phenomena associated with the presence and motion of matter that has a property of electric charge. Electricity is related to magnetism, both being part of the phenomenon of electromagnetism, as described by ...

version was introduced with Travel DeCourcey ordering three in 2010, entering service on the Coventry Park & Ride. The Park and Ride trend was continued with

First York First York operates local bus services, with a network centring around the cathedral city of York, North Yorkshire, England. It is a subsidiary of FirstGroup, which operates bus, rail and tram services across the United Kingdom and Ireland. His ...

purchasing 12 for its York Park & Ride services between 2014 and 2015. Transport for Greater Manchester introduced three on its Metroshuttle services.

Operators

United Kingdom

The first Optare Versas entered service in October 2007 with Arriva Shires & Essex.

Arriva Arriva plc is a British multinational public transport company headquartered in Sunderland, England.FirstGroup FirstGroup plc is a British multi-national transport group, based in Aberdeen, Scotland.Go-Ahead Group The Go-Ahead Group plc is a passenger transport company based in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, with operations in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Singapore, Norway and Germany. Formerly listed on the London Stock Exchange, in 2022 it was purchased ...

Rotala Rotala plcCompanies House extract company no 5338907
Rot ...

Yorkshire Tiger Team Pennine operates both local and regional bus services in West Yorkshire, England. It is a subsidiary of Transdev Blazefield, which operates bus services across Greater Manchester, Lancashire, North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire. History St ...

Stagecoach Group Stagecoach Group is a transport group based in Perth, Scotland. It operates buses, express coaches and a tram service in the United Kingdom. History Stagecoach was born out of deregulation of the British express coach market in the early ...

Wellglade Group The Wellglade Group (WG), is a transport group operating bus and tram services in the English Midlands. History Wellglade was formed in 1986 when Brian King and Ian Morgan purchased Trent Buses from the National Bus Company in a managem ...

Transdev Blazefield Transdev Blazefield is a bus group, which operates local and regional bus services across Greater Manchester, Lancashire, North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire, England. Formed in August 1991, the group has been a subsidiary of French-based operato ...

and Translink Northern Ireland (37 buses) have all been purchasers. It has been operated by Transport for London operators

East London East or Orient is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth. Etymology As in other languages, the word is formed from the f ...

, London United, NSL Buses,

Quality Line Quality Line was a bus company based in Epsom, England. A subsidiary of the RATP Group, Quality Line operated bus services throughout the South West London and Surrey area, with many under contract to Transport for London. It ceased operations ...

and

Selkent Selkent (an acronym of South East London & Kent) is a bus company operating in central and south London and some parts of north-west Kent. It is a subsidiary brand of Stagecoach London and operates services under contract to Transport for London ...

. The Versa has proved popular with independent operators - such as Fleet Buzz - particularly in East Anglia, in the North West of England and also in Wales.

Australasia

In New Zealand Reesby Buses have purchased three Versas from the Optare.Versa makes savings in New Zealand
''Bus & Coach Buyer'' 8 August 2013. They are joined by Ritchies Transport Holdings, who purchased 7 from Nottingham City Transport in late 2013.

Gallery

File:Transdev Yellow Buses 25 rear.JPG, Transdev Yellow Buses Optare Versa rear in May 2009. This vehicle is now in service with

D&G Bus D&G Bus is a local bus operator owned by Centrebus Group and is based in Adderley Green, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire. History D&G Bus was formed by David Reeves and Gerald Henderson in April 1998 initially operating four buses on two routes ...

of Stoke-on-Trent. File:Manchester Metroshuttle bus 49106 (YJ60 KDF), 2 March 2012.jpg, First Greater Manchester

Metroshuttle free bus is a zero-fare bus system that operates in Greater Manchester. The system was first introduced in Manchester city centre in 2002, with three routes linking the city's major thoroughfares and stations with its main commercial, financia ...

liveried Versa Hybrid at

Manchester Piccadilly station Manchester Piccadilly is the principal railway station in Manchester, England. Opened as Store Street in 1842, it was renamed Manchester London Road in 1847 and became Manchester Piccadilly in 1960. Located to the south-east of Manchester city ...

in March 2012. File:YJ09 EYY RATP London United Optare Versa (8487450400).jpg, London United Optare Versa at

Hammersmith bus station Hammersmith bus station is located adjacent to the District & Piccadilly and Circle and Hammersmith & City lines London Underground stations in Hammersmith. It is owned and maintained by Transport for London. The bus station is divided into t ...

in February 2013. File:Blazefield Starship Versa.jpg, Transdev Burnley & Pendle "Starship" branded Optare Versa at Optare's

factory in July 2012. File:Versa INT.JPG, Stagecoach North West Optare Versa interior.

References

External links

{{Optare timeline

Versa is a Japanese multinational information technology and electronics corporation, headquartered in Minato, Tokyo. The company was known as the Nippon Electric Company, Limited, before rebranding in 1983 as NEC. It provides IT and network solut ...

Hybrid electric buses Low-floor buses Low-entry buses Midibuses Vehicles introduced in 2007 Battery electric buses