The Wright StreetLite is a low-floor

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 ...

introduced by

Wrightbus Wrightbus is a Northern Ireland based bus manufacturer and a pioneer of the low-floor bus. The company was established in 1946 by Robert Wright and was later run by his son William Wright, until it was acquired in 2019 by British businessman ...

in 2010. It was originally available in only one body style (wheel forward) before the door forward and StreetLite Max variants were introduced in 2011 and 2012 respectively. Production of all variants of the StreetLite was briefly suspended due to Wrightbus entering administration in September 2019.

Models

The StreetLite is available in two differing body styles and five lengths between 8.8 metres and 11.5 metres with seating ranging from 33 to 45 passengers. All variants are of the same width and height, except for the StreetVibe, which is offered as a narrower chassis. Wrightbus claims that in each length, the StreetLite offers more seats than the equivalent competitors. Because of issues with build quality, steering, braking, acceleration and noise. The Streetlite is considered to be an unpopular bus amongst drivers.

StreetLite WF (wheel-forward)

The StreetLite WF (wheel-forward) was the first model to be launched, first going on sale in 2010. It is available in two lengths of and , with seating for up to 33 and 37 passengers respectively. To save space in these variants, the axle is positioned ahead of the door, similarly to the StreetLite WFs main competitor, the

Optare Solo SR The Optare Solo is a low-floor minibus/midibus with one or two doors manufactured by Optare in the United Kingdom since 1998. The Solo name is a play on its low-floor status, the manufacturer marketing its vehicle as having an entrance that is ...

. The first example entered service with

Anglian Bus Konectbus is a bus operator based in Dereham in Norfolk, England. It is a subsidiary of the Go-Ahead Group and forms part of Go East Anglia. History Konectbus was formed in 1999 when the Saham Toney depot of Norfolk Green was purchased from wi ...

in October 2010.First Wrightbus StreetLite enters services
''Bus & Coach Professional'' 21 October 2010

StreetVibe

The StreetVibe, initially known as the ''Nu-Track Nu-Vibe'' concept vehicle, was launched in 2015 following Wrightbus' purchase of welfare bus manufacturer

Nu-Track Wrightbus is a Northern Ireland based bus manufacturer and a pioneer of the low-floor bus. The company was established in 1946 by Robert Wright and was later run by his son William Wright, until it was acquired in 2019 by British businessman ...

. It is a development of its Nu-Vibe concept vehicle, modified to Wrightbus specifications. The StreetVibe is based on the StreetLite WF, measuring long. However, the StreetVibe is 290 mm shorter and 167 mm narrower than a standard StreetLite. As such, the StreetVibe is designed to compete directly with the Optare Solo SR Slimline, another narrow

. The first StreetVibe entered service with East Lothian Council in April 2016, the first of eight examples to be delivered to the council. A further two StreetVibes were delivered to

Moray Council The Moray Council is one of the 32 local government councils in Scotland covering the Moray area. History The Moray District Council had been created in 1975 under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973. It became one of the newly created sin ...

in June and July 2016. The largest single order for StreetVibes was placed by the government of

Guernsey Guernsey (; Guernésiais: ''Guernési''; french: Guernesey) is an island in the English Channel off the coast of Normandy that is part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey, a British Crown Dependency. It is the second largest of the Channel Islands ...

's buses.gg operation, with 12 initial examples first entering service on the island between April and May 2017. A repeat order for 22 more StreetVibes were delivered to the island in autumn 2018.

VDL Citea MLE

In October 2013, VDL Bus & Coach introduced a rebadged variant of the StreetLite WF, known as the Citea MLE, for the mainland European market. Quick Parking of

Haarlem Haarlem (; predecessor of ''Harlem'' in English) is a city and municipality in the Netherlands. It is the capital of the province of North Holland. Haarlem is situated at the northern edge of the Randstad, one of the most populated metropoli ...

in the Netherlands took delivery of the first production Citea MLE in May 2014. The initial demonstrator vehicle ultimately entered service with

Arriva Netherlands Arriva plc is a British multinational public transport company headquartered in Sunderland, England.Nobina Danmark are the largest operator of the Citea MLE, taking delivery of five examples in December 2014 and a further pair in June 2015. A further two Citea MLEs entered service in Denmark with Keolis Danmark in December 2014.

StreetLite DF (door-forward)

LONDON BUS MUSEUM BROOKLANDS 2015 (16576282244)

The Door Forward StreetLite variant, also known as the StreetLite DF, was launched in 2011. It is available in two lengths of and with seating for up to 37 and 41 passengers respectively. In this variant the axle is positioned behind the door and there is an option for dual door configuration for Transport for London specifications. The first example was trialled by First London.

StreetLite Max

The StreetLite Max was launched in 2012. It is long with capacity for up to 45 passengers seated. In this variant the axle is positioned behind the door like the "door forward" and also has the same Cummins 4-cylinder 210 horsepower engine and Voith DIWA transmission. A Euro VI-compliant version of Cummins engine and Mercedes-Benz OM934 became available in 2013. The StreetLite Max competes against heavyweight buses such as the

Alexander Dennis Enviro300 The Alexander Dennis Enviro300 (previously known as the TransBus Enviro300) is a light-weight full-size single-decker bus that was built by Alexander Dennis and its predecessor TransBus International between 2001 and 2015. The design was the first ...

and Optare Tempo SR as well as other lightweight vehicles such as the Alexander Dennis Enviro200 and Optare Versa. Deliveries of the StreetLite Max commenced in 2012.

Propulsion

Diesel

The majority of all StreetLites models produced up until 2018 have been the standard diesel variant, with FirstGroup the largest customer of the type.

Micro Hybrid

The StreetLite Micro Hybrid was launched in 2013. It is available in all of the standard StreetLite lengths and capacities. While not a "hybrid" in the usual sense, the StreetLite Micro Hybrid recovers energy lost from braking to power the vehicle electrics and compressed air systems, saving up to 10% in fuel costs. The bus itself runs from a conventional StreetLite drivetrain, as opposed to a small diesel engine and electric motor in normal hybrids.

Hybrid

All models of the StreetLite are currently offered as full hybrid-electric vehicles, with the first hybrid StreetLite WF entering service in 2014, followed by the first hybrid StreetLite Maxes which entered service in May 2018 with First South Yorkshire. The hybrid StreetLite Max can be easily distinguished from the standard diesel variants from the presence of an additional grille in the front bumper, which provides cooling to the hybrid battery pack, located over the front axle behind the front door, through cooling channels under the floor in the door area. This grille is not present in the hybrid StreetLite WF, as the hybrid battery pack is located close to the engine at the rear of the bus due to lack of space at the front. In 2017, Travel South Yorkshire placed an order for 31 hybrid-electric Wright StreetLite Maxes for Sheffield services 1 and 1a. These were to be the first StreetLite Max models to be fitted with fully hybrid technology. The order was split between two operators – 13 for First South Yorkshire's service 1a, an operator who already operated over 100 diesel StreetLites across the city; and 18 for

Stagecoach Sheffield Stagecoach Yorkshire is an operating division of Stagecoach Group. It was formed in 2005 to take over the former Traction Group fleets in Yorkshire by Stagecoach Group, which took over Traction from Frank Carter on 14 December 2005; Yorkshi ...

's service 1, Stagecoach's first StreetLite Maxes delivered nationally. The first four hybrid StreetLite Maxes were delivered to First South Yorkshire on 26 April 2018, with first entry into service taking place on 10 May (First) and 19 May (Stagecoach). The wheel-forward and shorter door-forward StreetLite models are also offered as full hybrids.

Arriva Shires & Essex Arriva Shires & Essex is a bus operator providing services in Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex and Hertfordshire, with services extending to Oxfordshire and Greater London. Until 2002 its operations included Colchester. It is a subsidiary o ...

took delivery of 13 hybrid StreetLite WFs for its Luton depot in 2014, followed by a further five at its High Wycombe depot in 2015.

Electric

ArrivaTheShires-WrightStreetLiteEV-WolvertonAgora-P1340896

The StreetLite EV was launched in 2014. Like the Micro Hybrid, it is available in all of the standard StreetLite lengths and capacities. The StreetLite EV is a battery electric bus with no diesel engine. In January 2014,

placed eight EVs into service in

Milton Keynes Milton Keynes ( ) is a city and the largest settlement in Buckinghamshire, England, about north-west of London. At the 2021 Census, the population of its urban area was over . The River Great Ouse forms its northern boundary; a tributary ...

receiving coverage on national news services due to their trial of

inductive charging Inductive charging (also known as wireless charging or cordless charging) is a type of wireless power transfer. It uses electromagnetic induction to provide electricity to portable devices. Inductive charging is also used in vehicles, power tool ...

, the first buses of their kind to do so in the UK. An updated version of the StreetLite EV, the StreetAir EV WF, was launched in August 2016, replacing the standard StreetLite EV.

Operators

United Kingdom

ANGLIANBUS Beccles - Flickr - secret coach park (2)

As at August 2018, over 1,600 had been delivered. The first StreetLites entered service in October 2010 with

. Arriva, FirstGroup, Go-Ahead Group,

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

and

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 ...

have all been purchasers.Wright StreetLite
Bus Lists on the Web It has been operated by Transport for London operators Arriva London, Blue Triangle, First London, London General,

Sullivan Buses Sullivan Buses is a bus company based in South Mimms, Hertfordshire, England. Founded in 1998, it operates local bus services in and around Hertfordshire and north London including school services, rail replacement bus services in and near London ...

, Quality Line and Tower Transit. As at May 2020, StreetLite WFs were operating routes

379 Year 379 ( CCCLXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Ausonius and Hermogenianus (or, less frequently, year 1132 '' A ...

and

424 Year 424 ( CDXXIV) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Castinus and Victor (or, less frequently, year 1177 ''Ab urbe condit ...

, while Wright DFs were operating routes

219 __NOTOC__ Year 219 ( CCXIX) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Antonius and Sacerdos (or, less frequently, year 972 '' ...

232 Year 232 ( CCXXXII) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Lupus and Maximus (or, less frequently, year 985 ''Ab urbe condita'' ...

236 __NOTOC__ Year 236 ( CCXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Verus and Africanus (or, less frequently, year 989 ''Ab ...

299 __NOTOC__ Year 299 (Roman numerals, CCXCIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. In the Roman Empire, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Diocletian and Maximian (or, l ...

327 __NOTOC__ Year 327 ( CCCXXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Constantius and Maximus (or, less frequently, year 108 ...

389 Year 389 ( CCCLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Timasius and Promotus (or, less frequently, year 1142 ''Ab urbe c ...

and

399 __NOTOC__ Year 399 ( CCCXCIX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Eutropius and Theodorus (or, less frequently, year 11 ...

. Safari buses entered service with Knowsley Safari Park. Bus Vannin on the Isle of Man were the first company to order the StreetLite, ordering 12 – six 9.5m variants and six 10.8m variants. Whilst the 9.5m variants entered service in December 2010 the 10.8m variants which were due in early 2011 were never delivered. Padarn Bus took three 9.5 metre StreetLites for services on Anglesey. whilst

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 ...

obtained six 9.5 metre vehicles.

Reading Buses Reading Buses is a bus operator serving the towns of Reading, Bracknell, Newbury, Slough, Windsor, Maidenhead, Wokingham and the surrounding areas in the counties of Berkshire, Oxfordshire, and Hampshire, England, as well as parts of Greater L ...

have also taken six 9.5 metre variants. The first large order for 46 was placed by FirstGroup in April 2011. In February 2013, FirstGroup ordered 179 new StreetLites (mostly the 11.5m Max variant with some 10.8m models ordered) to work alongside the four prototype vehicles already at the company. In January 2014, a further 301 were ordered, with 274 of them featuring 'Micro Hybrid' technology. As at March 2016, FirstGroup operated 570. In April 2014, Arriva ordered 97 "Micro Hybrid" StreetLites, 70 of which are the Max (11.5m) variant with 27 others of an unspecified length. In March 2015, it ordered a further 50.

Ireland

The first new Streetlites to enter service in Ireland were delivered to Dublin Bus in 2017 with 2 examples arriving for the 44B route between Glencullen and Dundrum that cannot accommodate double deckers or full length single decks. In 2018 the National Transport Authority ordered a batch of 88 Streetlites which entered service between 2019 and 2020 on Transport for Ireland publicly funded bus services operated by both the public and private sector. Of these, 40 were allocated to Go-Ahead Ireland in Dublin with

Bus Éireann Bus Éireann (; "Irish Bus") is a state-owned bus and coach operator providing services throughout Ireland, with the exception of Dublin and the Greater Dublin Area, where bus services are provided by sister company Dublin Bus. It is a subsidia ...

receiving 43, deploying 17 in Waterford, 12 in Dundalk/Drogheda, 7 in Athlone, 5 in Sligo and 2 in Dublin. City Direct operate the remaining 5 in Kilkenny. All vehicles feature the Transport for Ireland livery. In addition, a handful of Streetlites are also operated by smaller operators, including single vehicles for First Aircoach, Express Bus and Whartons Travel.

Exports

In January 2017, a StreetLite commenced a trial with Australian operator Torrens Transit. Three StreetLite Maxes entered service with New Zealand operator Leopard Coachlines in 2017.

Mistral

Wrightbus secured an exclusivity deal with Mistral, a bus sales and rental company. Mistral were the sole selling agents for the StreetLite and pitched the vehicle as 'Wrightbus+Mistral – the perfect equation'. This exclusivity deal ended in 2012 with the introduction of the Streetlite Max.

In popular culture

The StreetLite played an integral part in the Torch Relay for the

2012 London Olympic Games The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012) was an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...

. Ten

Stagecoach South Wales Stagecoach in South WalesCompanies House extract company no 255550 ...

StreetLites were used to shuttle relay runners and event staff between relay starting points. The buses were decorated in a special amber

vinyl wrap Wrap advertising or a vehicle wrap is known as the marketing practice of completely or partially covering (wrapping) a vehicle in a vinyl material, which may be for a color change, advertising or custom delivery. The result of this process is e ...

with lettering for the games."Stagecoach StreetLites accompany Olympic torch" ''Buses'' July 2012

References

External links

*
Wright StreetLite (Wrightbus website)
{{Wrightbus, state=collapsed Low-floor buses Midibuses Electric midibuses Vehicles introduced in 2010 StreetLite