Scania N94UD OmniDekka

Bristol Omnibus Company Running Day

Sunday 23rd May 2004

The Scania OmniDekka is based on Scania N94UD 4x2 chassis

With the first bus entering service on 30^th January 2003, Metrobus Limited, a Go-Ahead Group Company, became the UK's first operator of the Scania OmniDekka. A total of 18 of the new generation double-decker from Scania and East Lancashire Coachbuilders were ordered from Scania Bus & Coach UK Limited by Metrobus for use at its Orpington Depot on the Transport for London Route 64 contract.

Brighton & Hove took a batch registered in June and July predating the bulk of the Metrobus vehicles, whose main consignment arrived in August 2003, while an order for 22 examples from Nottingham followed on in September and October.

Other less convinced operators could evaluate a demonstration bus, YN53PAO. In February 2004 it was on trial in with Southampton, having previously worked with Go-Ahead Group Company Wilts & Dorset.

ABUS Faresaver

In May 1991 Alan Peters, a former Badgerline Manager obtained an enterprise allowance and started ABus in Bristol. With a mixture of Bath and North East Somerset and Bristol contracts and the Bristol Open Top Bus Guided Tour the company has expanded steadily, using buses of many backgrounds from almost heritage to nearly new. For example the 349 service Bristol to Keynsham is operated by DAF DB250LF Optare Spectras S111AJP, R222AJP and Leyland Olympian/East Lancs RBO506Y with one weekday journey using a Bristol VR/ECW.

With this in mind YN53PAO came to Bristol to be evaluated by ABus and was such a success that Alan Peters wanted to keep it. Negotiations with Scania Bus & Coach UK Limited at first looked fruitful until it was discovered that Yorkshire Traction had included YN53PAO with the 6 new vehicles ordered for services at Barnsley Bus Station. Mr Peters was talking about buying another Optare Spectra instead if he could get a short delivery time. Before it went home to Scania ABus brought YN53PAO to Bristol Harbourside and I was privileged to join the single journey it did on the CCC City Centre Circle to Bristol Temple Meads Railway Station and back.