Nottingham add 10 more Optare Scania Omni-Dekkas 07 April 2010

Ten more Scania Omni-Dekka double-deck buses, delivered to Nottingham City Transport from Optare's Blackburn plant, takes Nottingham's total to 134 out of a fleet of 330.

Like the eight delivered in August last year, these are 12 metre models, but with a seating capacity of 86. The new Omni-Dekkas are based on the Scania N270 UD chassis, with Euro 5 compliant Scania 9-litre engine rated at 230 bhp matched to a six-speed automatic transmission.

Engineering director Barry Baxter says their specification includes Fainsa seats, an INIT real-time information system with 17 inch monitors and all side windows in tinted green glass. Meanwhile, the driving compartment has air-conditioning, an Actia CCTV system and Mobitec LED destination equipment.

Nottingham City Transport pioneered development of the Omni-Dekka back in 2003 with the aim of increasing standardisation of vehicles across its fleet. Baxter says the benefits have already shown themselves in very good whole-life vehicle costs.

"When assessing vehicles we look at three key factors: fuel consumption, reliability and maintenance costs," says Baxter. "And we consider these across the whole life of the vehicle.

"In terms of these factors the Scania Omni-Dekka has consistently scored well. We were closely involved in the development of this model both in respect of the chassis development by Scania and in developing this current body with the former East Lancashire Coachbuilders, now Optare."

He cites the "distinctive and similar appearance" between the Omni-Dekkas and Nottingham's Scania Omni-City single-deckers as evidence of the standardisation. "There is also a high level of commonality of components between both the single and double-deck chassis, which contributes to better maintainability," adds Baxter.

"And because the driving compartments and layout are similar, we can more easily familiarise drivers between Scania single-deckers and the Omni-Dekkas," he says.

Author
Brian Tinham

Related Companies
Optare plc
Scania (Great Britain) Ltd

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