Optare, which recently reported an eur13 million contract to supply 66 hybrid buses to Greater Manchester, has now confirmed the repair and maintenance contract.
Worth another eur1.9 million, to provide in-service support for the buses, it covers five-year full R&M for the Optare hybrids that start entering service later this year.
Greater Manchester Integrated Transport Authority's hybrid fleet, which will be one of the largest in the country, will be made up of Optare Solo, Solo SR, Versa and Tempo models.
All the buses feature a diesel-electric hybrid system and will be equipped with Optare's Eco Drive system, as well as Telematics, combining passenger counting, real time information, CCTV and vehicle diagnostics.
Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive interim bus and rail director, Michael Renshaw, comments: "This is an important step in the delivery of the hybrid bus programme and I look forward to working with Optare on this part of the contract as well as the delivery of the new fleet."
